Lyrics Challenge
by RogueAmazonBoo and Tituba
Summary: Two authors, six stories, and a whole lot of Ichigo and Rukia.
1. Geek Gets the Girl

**Disclaimer: Not mine, Tito's, Viz, and Shoen Jump. Don't sue.**

**A/N: I recently sent an e-mail to Tituba and asked her to engage in a little project, game, challenge…whatever strikes your fancy, and this is the result. The challenge was something that I use to do with a bunch of other people on this mailing list I've been on for more years than I care to count. **

**It was called a Lyrics Challenge, and the concept was for us all to get together, exchange songs, and use those songs provided to write a short story. Here are the results of that challenge. Six stories, all Ichigo and Rukia centric, three by me, and three by her. Enjoy.**

**_Geek Gets the Girl_**

**_By American Hi-Fi_**

_**Another Friday night, to get the feeling right -- At the bar when he sees her coming over -- What you gonna do, if she walks up to you -- Tongue tied better get yourself together -- Pound another drink, to give him time to think -- What's your sign hey I think you know a friend of mine -- All the stupid lines, that he had ever heard -- Wouldn't come to mind he couldn't say a word**_

_**Tonight tonight, he's gonna get it right -- Even losers can get lucky sometimes -- All the freaks go on a winning streak -- In a perfect world, all the geeks get the girls**_

_**Got her holding steady, forget her name already -- Sweatin' hard not a smooth operator -- She's got it going on, dancing to her favorite song -- He's got the line is it your place or mine -- She turns and walks away, where did he go wrong? -- But waiting by the car, she says what took you so long**_

_**Tonight tonight, he's gonna get it right -- Even losers can get lucky sometimes -- All the freaks go on a winning streak -- In a perfect world, all the geeks get the girls**_

_**The very next day, he guessed she ran away -- The one and only in his bed so lonely -- But she comes walking in, with coffee and a grin -- Crazy as it seems, it wasn't just a dream -- And all around the world, people shout it out -- The geeks get the girls**_

_**Last night he finally got it right -- Even losers can get lucky sometimes -- All the freaks go on a winning streak -- Shout it all around the world cause the geeks get the girls**_

**Geek Gets the Girl**

**By **

**Rogue Amazon Boo**

Ichigo Kurosaki groaned as the harsh sunlight streaming through his window jump started the pounding in his head. Pushing himself up on his arms, he groaned again, flopped back down on his pillow, and pulled his blanket over his eyes.

His brain felt like someone had cut open his skull, removed it, run it through a meat grinder, strained it through a colander, pounded it flat with a meat tenderizer, given it a few licks through a blender, copped, diced, liquefied it, poured it back inside his skull, and sewed his head back together with a rusty needle without a drop of anesthetic.

He tried to swallow but his throat was dry. With another groan, he willed his limbs to move. He needed a bottle of aspirin and a gallon of water and he needed them right now. Problem was, he couldn't seem get up.

Groping blindly, his fingers curled around his alarm clock and bleary eyed he squinted at the red digital numbers. It blinked back at him, proclaiming the time two in the afternoon. Scowling, he fumbled the clock back onto the dresser and fell back.

"Fuck," he growled. Two 'o clock in the fucking afternoon; he'd slept for almost eleven hours.

"Never drinking again," he mumbled and grumpily threw his covers off only to stare down uncomprehendingly. He blinked once, twice, and frowned again. He was stark, butt ass naked. His frown deepened. He never slept naked, which begged the question.

Where the fuck were his clothes?

His moaned in pain and rubbed his temples, trying to get his tired mind to process cognitive thought. It didn't seem to want to cooperate. He rubbed his hand over his face and tried to relax and slowly, but surely neurons started firing.

He remembered that he'd allowed Keigo to drag him to a club last night even though he hated crowds, dancing, alcohol, and fun in general. The only reason he'd gone, instead of punching his annoying friend in the face, was because Rukia had come as close to begging him to go as she'd ever come to anything.

The annoying little midget had said she could add it to the report she'd been compiling about human mating practices for the Shinigami Women's Association. He'd balked at first and told her there was absolutely no fucking way he was taking her with Keigo and the guys so she could watch his friend hit on women. She'd somehow changed his mind.

The details on how were still fuzzy and he had to really dig to remember. When it hit him he growled, low.

"Damn bitch."

He remembered now. She had pictures, pictures he'd thought he'd burned years ago that she'd manage to charm out of his crazy father. She had annoying, embarrassing, and reputation shattering baby photos of him in very compromising poses. It was enough to make him to shudder.

"Note to self," he muttered. "Find out where Rukia stashed those photos, steal them back, and have large bonfire."

He grumbled under his breath, swung his legs over his bed, and started hunting for his boxer shorts. He was scowling again and his traitorous thoughts drifted to the petite shinigami who'd managed to turn his world inside out. He'd known her for five years, had faced hollows, arrancar, and other shinigami with her and for her. She was the most important person in his life, but that didn't mean she didn't drive him completely insane.

Groaning yet again, he scanned his floor and abruptly froze. He blinked and waited for his mind to catch up to his shock so he could forcibly deny that he was seeing what he thought he was seeing. He closed his amber eyes, willed his head clear, opened them, and cursed roundly.

There was no fucking way he was looking at his boxers laying on the floor, tangled with a familiar matching set of plum purple bra and lacy panties. He looked beyond the tantalizing and panic inducing image to see the rest of his clothes, the blue shirt he'd worn last night, the dark denim jeans, socks, athletic shoes, scattered haphazardly and mingling with a familiar purple tank top and white vinyl mini-skirt.

A pair of discarded, strappy white sandals completed the image. The right sandal was under his desk and the left one was propped up near the door against the wall, as if they'd been flung off without a care where they landed.

Feeling faint, he sunk down into his desk chair and fisted his hands in his orange locks. Kami, what had he done? What had they done? He groaned and rubbed a hand over his face, his brow pinching together in thought.

Slowly, bits and pieces tumbled through the pain induced fog of his hang over. He cursed again and his shoulders slumped. It was all coming back to him. Hazily, he let his mind drift.

"_I said no, Rukia," he growled and took a swig of his beer. The petite shinigami sat next to him and pouted prettily._

"_Come on baka, what's the big deal? It's not like you'd really be trying to pick me up. I just want to know how it's done in the human world so I can add personal research to my report."_

_Ichigo scowled. Personal research? They'd been at the club for thirty minutes and already seven different guys had bought her drinks and tried to coax her on the dance floor. He grumbled something low and cast his gaze around. There were three more at the bar giving her the eye and he knew what was on the fuckers' minds. It wasn't rocket science after all. He chanced a glance at the woman next to him. _

_Rukia Kuchiki, his mentor, his friend, the women he'd gone to hell and back for, was completely oblivious to the fact that she was fucking hot. Ichigo started and gazed accusingly at his beer. It was his fifth and although he usually didn't have more than two, the parade of lecherous assholes coming on to Rukia had soured his spirits and made him a little reckless tonight. _

_It had to be the alcohol talking. He didn't think of Rukia like that and he sure as hell didn't care how many little pricks tried to pick her up. Taking a last swig, he downed the rest of the brew and motioned for another. This time though he asked the bartender for a Jäger bomb. _

_If he was going to drown this…feeling that was NOT jealously, he was going to need to step it up a bit. Growling, he eyed the drink and slid his gaze back to Rukia. Her deep indigo eyes seemed larger tonight, smokier. Probably because she was wearing make-up and the dark purple tank and white skirt she'd poured herself into left very little to the imagination. He could see the tops of her non-existent breasts under the purple V and he couldn't help but notice that they seemed, perkier than normal._

_If he'd been a girl he'd know that the effect was the result of the joys of the push-up bra, but he wasn't so he didn't. Rukia was smirking at him in that annoyingly superior way of hers, and he responded by chugging his drink, wiping his mouth, and scowling at her._

"_You know what I think? I think you're scared of me, Ichigo Kurosaki."_

_It took everything in him to control his start of surprise. Sometimes the way she just knew shit was spooky. He scowled, he'd thought he'd hid it so well too. Dammit, he didn't need this shit. He didn't need to be reminded that deep down, in places he didn't like to think about, he, Ichigo Kurosaki, probably one of the most powerful shinigami in the realms of the living and the dead, was indeed scared shitless of this slip of a midget girl with her luminescent purple eyes._

_Especially when she was so close he could see the indigo and amethyst swirls of her corneas, could imagine the lush softness of her cherry lips, and found himself wondering how it would feel to pull her lithe body against his and devour her sweet mouth._

_He growled a curse. He shouldn't be having these thoughts about Rukia, not now, not ever. _

_The problem was that she was too important to him, important in ways that weren't familiar or safe. _

_He could almost say it was like how he felt for his sisters, but then he'd never been in the habit of lying to himself. His sisters…well he loved them and would protect them with every inch of his being, but Rukia…his feelings for her were not brotherly in the least and if he were being honest with himself, they never had been._

_If he lost her…_

_He couldn't, wouldn't complete that line of thought. It was better to keep it light, tease her, snark at her, and maybe he'd be able to continue hiding the deep seeded desperation, lust, and lov—_

_He needed another drink._

"_Go away midget," he snarled. "It's not like you need me anyway. Go dance with a member of your fan club."_

_Rukia's eyes lost their teasing light and a hint of anger darkened them._

"_If I didn't know better I'd think you were jealous."_

_He stiffened and glared at her hard._

"_Why would I be jealous? It's not like I care what you do. You could go fuck every guy in here for all I care."_

_Real anger clouded her orbs this time and with it something that looked suspiciously like hurt._

"_Asshole," she growled, stalked off, and grabbed the arm of the first guy that had bought her a drink. He looked like he was in heaven and the look only intensified when they reached the dance floor and she started to bump and grind that lithe little body up against his. Ichigo waved to the bartender once again._

"_Tequila," he spat. Wordlessly the bartender poured him a shot and left it in front of him. As the night wore on she danced with the other men, had a few more drinks, and soon was looking decidedly glassy eyed and tipsy. Ichigo watched it all with a sullen frown. _

_He wasn't too steady himself, but the burning in his gut only seemed to intensify with each man she danced with. With a low muttered curse he pushed himself to his feet and stalked over to her and her latest partner._

_The pure lustful look on the man's face had him clenching his fists in white knuckled anger. Acting on instinct he reached out quick as lightening, fisted the man's shirt in his hands, and pulled him close enough to growl._

"_Leave."_

_The guy, thankfully, wasn't so drunk that he didn't recognize the murderous look in the smaller man's eyes. Swallowing, he nodded and scurried away. Rukia glared at Ichigo._

"_Just what the HELL do you think you're doing?" He snarled an oath, wrapped one large arm around her waist, and pulled her against his body. She sucked in a startled breath and her eyes went wide._

"_Dancing with you…what else?"_

_The pounding bass beat of the music slowed a bit as the songs cycled into something slow and sultry. Ichigo felt his mood instantly shift and all those feelings he'd been trying so hard to drown rose to the surface. Ever so gently he ran his large hands over her back and started moving against her in a sensual fashion._

"_I-Ichigo?" She questioned; her voice breathy._

"_Just go with it, Rukia," he murmured and surprisingly, she complied. Ichigo closed his eyes. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol, the atmosphere, or the feel of Rukia rubbing against his body, but the dance was turning from a simple impulsive act to one of the most erotic experiences of his life._

_He moved his hands under her shirt, over her spine and around to caress her bare midriff. She sucked in a ragged breath and he felt her small hands, yank his shirt out of his jeans, slip under the soft material and ghost over his hard abdomen. The muscles rippled convulsively and he swallowed his moan._

_He opened his eyes and looked down into hers and found the same feelings he was experiencing swirling in their depths._

_He moved his hand up her back, cupped her neck, and plundered her soft mouth. She moaned and he dipped his tongue inside, fast and hard, and then slow and deep. Rukia mewled and pushed her own tongue forward, making the kiss deeper, hotter, and sexier. _

_When she sucked on his invading appendage he felt his stomach clench. When they pulled back they were breathing heavy and Ichigo knew that as soon as he got her home they were going to do something life altering._

_And that he was most likely going to wake up and regret it._

Wrenching his mind back to the present he cursed again, but not before a slew of dangerous images assaulted his brain.

He and Rukia, tearing off each others clothes while they tried to suck each other dry, mouth to mouth. Him taking off her bra with his teeth and latching on to one perfectly shaped breast.

Her screaming in ecstasy while he had his head buried between her silky thighs. Him gritting his teeth while she ran her small pink tongue over his straining cock.

Her bouncing up and down on top of him while she rode him hard and fast. Him, his hands wrapped around her pert tits, while he plunged into her from behind.

Groaning he felt his cock twitch and he massaged a hand down his face again. He couldn't believe this. He goes on a bender and does the one stupid thing he swore to himself he'd never allow himself to do. He'd fucked Rukia senseless last night and damn him to hell, he wanted to do it again and again and again.

Maybe he should just put himself out of his misery and confess to Byakuya now. He might have mercy and make his death quick and painful instead of slow, torturous, agonizing, and exceedingly painful.

Cursing roundly, he got up, untangled his boxers from Rukia's underwear, and slid them up his legs. He was just about to open his bedroom door and go downstairs to see if he could find the midget when it swung open.

He froze as Rukia looked up and locked her indigo gaze with his. He swallowed and his gaze traveled down her frame. Kami, she was wearing his white undershirt from last night and since her underwear was on the floor behind him he knew she had nothing on underneath. His amber eyes flared; she blushed and thrust one of the cups she'd been carrying at him.

"Thought you might like some tea," she murmured. He took it robotically, brought it to his lips, and gulped it down, ignoring the way it burned down his raw throat.

She shuffled her feet and he fidgeted and neither could seem to find anything to say to break the awkward silence that had fallen. She bit her lip and worried it between her straight white teeth and for some reason the small gesture caused Ichigo to snap.

"This is fucking ridiculous," he growled, wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulled her into the room and slammed his bedroom door shut. She stumbled and turned towards him, temper flashing in her eyes.

"What the hell did you do that for, baka!"

He crossed his arms over his bare chest and scowled. "What the fuck, Rukia! Don't you know better than to wander around the house half fucking naked. What if that perverted old man I have to fucking claim as my father were up. How the hell would you explain the fact that you're wandering around in one of my fucking shirts!"

She glared at him and started shaking, her temper turning into a full blown eruption.

"I swear you are such fucking moron! What the hell do you care if he was wandering around. You sure as hell weren't worried how much noise we made last night when you had your cock buried in me."

"I…that is…FUCK!" He roared and ran his hands through his already messy hair. She crossed her arms and scowled.

"Besides, you're father and your sisters aren't here, remember idiot. They are visiting your great aunt in Kyoto. Just how much did you have to drink last night?"

He glanced at the clothes littering the ground and muttered. "Too much obviously."

Rukia froze and Ichigo groaned when he realized how that sounded.

"Aw hell, Rukia I didn't mean it like…."

She suddenly punched him in the stomach and he doubled over with a loud "oomph."

He groaned and lifted his head to curse her when he felt he could take in enough breath to talk and promptly froze. He'd seen Rukia in snit, he's seen her in an apoplectic rage, but he'd never, ever seen Rukia looking like this. She was angry, so angry she was shaking with it, but the thing that gave him pause and made him feel ill was the undisguised hurt and the smattering of tears dusting her lashes.

She suddenly bolted away from him and jumped out his bedroom window. With a low muttered curse he started after her, only to jam his toe on the edge of his desk chair.

"Owww….FUCK!" He screamed and hobbled to the window. He cursed again.

She was gone.

After shoving on his discarded jeans and yanking on a fresh t-shirt Ichigo grabbed his brown jacket and sprinted out the front door. The minute he left the house the chill hit him and he shivered. A quick glance at the overcast sky provided the reason for the biting wind.

Growling, he remembered the state of undress Rukia had left in and knew that the stubborn little fool would be freezing.

He glowered at the sky accusingly and paused to get his bearings. Even after five years of being a death god he still sucked at sensing retisu but if he had a hope in hell of finding Rukia now would be a pretty good time to try and master it.

His only saving grace was that it was Rukia's retisu he was trying to trace and for some reason he was better able to sense her than anyone else. Closing his eyes, he reached for his own retisu and pushed it out. It immediately latched on to the spirit particles it recognized as Rukia's and he took off running.

He found her in the park down the road from his house, sitting under a large sugi tree. She looked up the minute he appeared and scrambled to her feet, but before she could run off again he sprinted over and caught her around the waist. The momentum threw them both to the ground.

The minute they landed she started kicked and scratching like an angry cat.

"Dammit," Ichigo cursed, rolled her under him, and subdued her using his larger frame. When she tried to scratch him he swore again, grabbed her hands, and pinned them above her head.

"Let go of me!" She howled. He glared at her.

"No…not until you stop screeching and let me explain."

He winced as she screeched even louder and Ichigo was silently grateful that the park was deserted. He would hate to think how it would look to a passerby to see him pinning down an angry, half naked girl.

"I don't care what you have to say. You're an ass, Ichigo Kurosaki! Do you think that was fucking easy for me, to come into your room…and…and…dammit. And for you to imply that it was a mista…" Her words choked off.

He swore low and soft when he saw the renewed dusting of tears on her lashes. Tears she was too damn proud to let fall. He felt his heart seize and he whispered fiercely.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Rukia. I swear I didn't mean it to sound like that…please come back with me and we'll talk."

_Please, don't leave me! _His mind screamed. He could endure anything, arrancar, hollows, her brother, anything, but he knew he wouldn't survive losing her. Not now, not ever.

Rukia was still struggling and parted her lips to deliver a scathing retort when she caught the look in his eyes. She froze; she'd never seen Ichigo look at her like that.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

He was making her nervous, not that she'd admit it. His amber gaze seemed to pierce her soul and she swallowed. He scowled.

Now that she wasn't struggling he felt his own nerves dance. Looking into her eyes, he could only think of one way to make things right between them and the thought had every part of his being screaming in terror. His lips in a grim line and his permanent scowl deeply in place he gruffly muttered.

"Fuck midget, you know I love you, right?"

She went ridged underneath him and her eyes went wide as saucers.

"W-What?" She stuttered. He scowled harder at her.

"You, I'm pretty damn sure I'm in love with you, which is why I acted like an asshole loser at the club last night. It's also why I combusted when you started tearing at my clothes. You make me crazy Rukia Kuchiki…you always have."

Stunned beyond speech, she could only stare at him. The silence stretched and he fidgeted. Suddenly he growled.

"Dammit, stop looking at me like that. You had to fucking know. You think I would've gone through the kind of shit I've gone through for you for just anyone?"

She bit her lip and looked away. Did she know? If she was being honest with herself she suspected but suspecting and having him come right out and say it. She didn't know what to say. She never really...

She knew she owed him something and she parted her lips to tell him…well she wasn't really sure what, but she was sure something would come to her...when the sky opened up and it started pouring.

Ichigo growled something unintelligible, pulled her into his arms bridal style, and took off back towards the house. In the space of a heartbeat they were through the front door, up the stairs, and standing in the middle of his bedroom. He mumbled something else and wrapped a thick terry cloth towel around her shoulders, rubbing it up and down her arms and refusing to meet her gaze.

Soaking wet, grumbling, and in his own annoyingly gruff and sweet way, taking care of her she finally found the words that she'd been unable to utter before.

"You know baka, for a rude, egotistical, grumpy human you're really not half bad, and I probably…well I think, maybe…I think I might love you, too."

He paused and smirked at her.

"Think you could've made that little confession any more ambiguous, midget?"

She glared at him and because he couldn't think of a reason not to, he lowered his head and captured her lips with his own. She shifted and moaned when he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her flush with his large body, and slipped his tongue between her petal soft lips.

When he sucked her tongue into his hot mouth she felt her knees go weak. Growling, he picked her up, stripped his wet t-shirt off of her body, and dropped her unceremoniously on the bed.

She glared at him.

"I swear moron; I'm not a sack of potatoes! You can't just throw me over your shoulder and dump me anywhere you want. Kami, you're such a loser sometimes."

He smirked and shrugged. "Yeah maybe, but even losers can get lucky," he said, pulled his t-shirt over his head, dropped it, shucked his wet jeans, socks and shoes, and pounced on her. She made a very un-Rukia-ish sound somewhere between a squeal and a yelp. He grinned down at her, lowered his head, and gently ran his tongue over the pulse point on her slim neck. She made a low keening sound and her breathing grew heavy.

He kissed a path down her neck and caught one straining pinked tipped areole between strong white teeth, sucking lightly and laving the sensitive skin with his tongue. She fisted her hands into his hair, arched against him, and moaned. In between pants she muttered.

"This…is ah…going to…Kami, do that again...get complicated."

He pulled his lips away from her breast with a tiny pop and regarded her wryly.

"Midget, it's always been complicated." He resumed his previous activity and started kissing a path between her small breasts, down her belly button, stopping at her thighs. They were so slim he could almost wrap his entire hand around the firm flesh. He placed a light kiss against her taut thigh muscle and she expelled a light gasp.

"My brother is going to kill you."

"Probably," he muttered and kissed her other thigh. She bit her lip.

"Yamamoto is going to flay us alive."

He shrugged. "He can try." She scowled, but her scowl turned into a mewl when he dipped his head and ran his strong tongue along her labia.

"This is crazy. I'm could be your great times ten grandmother." Ichigo tongued her again enjoying the squeak she made and tilted his head so he could look up at her from his position between her silky legs. He pushed himself up on his forearms and regarded her steadily.

"Rukia, I don't care about that. You're mine. You'll always be mine. If every damn Captain of the Seireitei came busting in here with the intent of taking you away from me I would take all the fuckers on and I would win, because one thing for certain. No one, human, shinigami, vizard, arrancar, hollow or other will ever be taking you away from me again. I don't care who I have to hurt, maim, or kill to ensure it."

With that rather startling monologue Ichigo plunged his head between her thighs and promptly shoved his tongue inside her, scattering her thoughts and making her unable to respond with anything but a loud moan.

Her very last coherent thought for the afternoon was, as crazy as his proposal seemed, she believed him. He would rage at the gods themselves for her. It was a disconcerting and humbling thought.

And to think it all started with one fateful meeting and the thrust of a zanpakutō.

One thing for certain, it looked like Ichigo Kurosaki finally got his timing right when it came to his vicious midget. All it took was a lot of alcohol, a ton of jealously, and a night of frantic, lust induced love making.

However it started, he knew…he was never going to let her go.

_**Fin**_


	2. Uptown Girl

**Uptown Girl**

**By Billy Joel **

Uptown girl  
She's been living in her uptown world  
I bet she never had a back street guy  
I bet her mama never told her why

I'm gonna try for an uptown girl  
She's been living in her white bread world  
As long as anyone with hot blood can  
And now she's looking for a downtown man  
That's what I am

And when she knows what  
She wants from her time  
And when she wakes up  
And makes up her mind

She'll see I'm not so tough  
Just because  
I'm in love with an uptown girl  
You know I've seen her in her uptown world  
She's getting tired of her high class toys  
And all her presents from her uptown boys  
She's got a choice

Uptown girl  
You know I can't afford to buy her pearls  
But maybe someday when my ship comes in  
She'll understand what kind of guy I've been  
And then I'll win

And when she's walking  
She's looking so fine  
And when she's talking  
She'll say that she's mine

She'll say I'm not so tough  
Just because  
I'm in love  
With and uptown girl  
She's been living in her white bread world  
As long as anyone with hot blood can  
And now she's looking for a downtown man  
That's what I am

Uptown girl  
She's my uptown girl  
You know I'm in love  
With an uptown girl

My uptown girl  
Don't you know I'm in love  
With an uptown girl  
My uptown girl  
Don't you know I'm in love  
With an uptown girl  
My uptown girl

**Uptown Girl**

**By Tituba**

**Rating: T**

Her jaw clenched, her throat constricted, and her eyes were frantically cast down to the ground as she passed the young man on the street. Her date looked at her and smiled beatifically. Rukia looked back up at him and returned the smile weakly. His hand, which was draped over her shoulders, inched down a bit further and barely brushed against her slightly exposed breast. She shrugged her shoulders a bit and swallowed again. Inwardly she cursed herself for wearing such a low cut shirt. She also prayed to God that _he_ didn't see that.

She could feel his heavy and heady stare across the street but continued her wobbly walk. Damn her legs felt weak. Her neck twisted slightly and her eyes inched towards the side. She could see him standing there. His body was tight and rigid as he leaned against the newsstand. His dark amber eyes were following her every move as she stopped at the light and waited for it to change.

He looked so _good_ too. He was wearing tight, hip hugging jeans and a shirt that was fairly plastered to his chest. She could see—even from this distance—the finely chiseled muscles of his chest and abdomen. She felt a shudder run through her spine as her heavy eyes slid down his legs and back up to his face. His eyes were a stunning shade of amber, the deepest honey mixed with the purest gold splashed with a bit of molasses. She could drown in those eyes if she wanted.

Not that she actually could… but she wanted, oh fuck she wanted…

Her date tugged on her arm a bit and she glanced over at him. He had followed her gaze and was now glaring at the boy she so desperately wanted to go to.

He scoffed and shook his head, wrinkling his nose threateningly at the boy with startling orange hair. "What a piece of trash. Looking at you like that…" he snorted, "He should be thrown in jail."

She bit her tongue and swallowed hard. She wretched her gaze away from him and stared stupidly down at the gravel littering the street. She could feel him still looking at her.

_Oh God, _she pleaded mentally,_ please stop Ichigo. Please, please just stop._

He didn't.

Her date was beginning to bristle angrily at the boy's blatant staring and his body was starting to wriggle in agitation. She knew he wanted to go over and beat Ichigo's face in. Well, he could _try_ anyway; she knew that Ichigo was no pushover. He would probably pulverize her date if they ever got into a fight. Ichigo hadn't grown up in a cushy, upper-class neighborhood the way this _boy_ had.

"What is that guy's problem?" He demanded angrily. His body turned towards Ichigo but Rukia kept her hands and elbows firmly wrapped around his arm. She locked down her hold as he tried to move.

"Just ignore him." She squeaked, still staring dumbly at the asphalt.

Her date scoffed and looked down at her. It wasn't that hard to do, as she was remarkably short. "I'm not going to ignore it when he's looking at you like you're a freaking piece of meat!"

_And he'd want to eat every part of me._ Rukia added mentally and she berated herself for the dirty thought.

"Just…" she began feebly. "Just leave him be. He's not doing anything."

Her date snorted and shook his head. Muttering an "if you say so" and tugging her viciously across the street. She hadn't even noticed that the light had changed. Her legs jerked clumsily as she kept pace with him. Her feet landed on the opposite sidewalk and she nearly felt her knees buckle with the impact.

_Damn it, _she thought angrily as her knees smarted, _why couldn't he just look away?_

Her date continued to walk towards the expensive restaurant where they would be eating dinner. He was blabbering on about whether he wanted his parents to buy him a Mercedes or a Porsche for his next birthday. He must have taken her silence for attentive listening because she certainly wasn't going to say a word to the egotistical jerk. Still, she wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to him. Instead, she was thinking about the poor boy with the flaming head of orange hair leaning back against the newsstand.

She was thinking so many things about him. About how he had dreams of going to medical school, about how he had two sisters and a crazy father, about how he had moved to the city all on his own so he could go to school, about how he lived with a strange roommate who liked to sew, about how he was working at the newsstand at night to help pay for his tuition, about how he called her a midget, about how he had drawn in her attention like no one else ever had, about how he hadn't judged her when he first met her, and about how much she wanted to be with him more than her current date.

They ordered, he talked, they ate, he talked, they drank, he talked, they polished off dessert, he talked, they exited, and he continued talking. Honestly, she hated that she had to go on all these blind dates. Just because her brother thought they would be good for her didn't mean she would like them.

He walked her to the building her brother owned. At the very top there was the penthouse she shared with him—they had separate areas—and she found herself desperately wishing that her date would just let her alone right here. She didn't want a kiss goodbye, she didn't want to dish out more fake smiles and promise that she'd call him later, and she most certainly didn't want to feel his lips on top of hers. She had been watching him through dinner, scrutinizing the way his mouth moved over his fork with every bite of food. She was now quite certain that should he kiss her tonight his lips would feel as wet and cold as the scales on a wriggling fish. She had to suppress a shudder when she thought of his tongue.

No, when it came to kissing there was only one man who's lips she ever wanted to touch her own. His lips… they always felt so warm, like they were on fire. She felt her eyes flutter shut as she thought of him. His big hand cupping the back of her neck. His smoldering mouth placing butterfly kisses on her nose, her cheeks, her throat. His softly firm lips brushing against hers over and over again until she sighed in melting relief. His tongue slipping out from the confines of his own mouth just to taste hers. His arms wrapped around her body. His hands tugging at her clothes. Their bodies tangled together on the mattress. Her breathy cries at his ruthless thrusts. The twisting pleasure, the heady eroticism, the scintillating contentment.

Rukia jerked herself rudely back into reality and cursed herself for allowing her mind to wander. Now she was throbbing in places she had no business dealing with at the moment. Not while her date was around. She needed to ditch him as soon as possible.

When they reached the revolving door to the complex she stopped dead, hoping that he would get the message and just drop her off here. She smiled sweetly at him and told him that her brother was probably meeting her in the lobby and that it would be best for him if he just went home.

"You know," she laughed lightly, "So Byakuya doesn't think you're trying to do something… _improper_." She finished the sentence on a hushed word, as if she feared it.

He chuckled lightly and moved closer towards her. His hand reached out and he tugged at the bottom of her light jacket. His yanks brought her body closer to his. She mentally screamed and stamped her feet but kept her smiling façade on the outside.

"Maybe…" he began, his voice carrying a sultry hint of dirty thoughts, "I'd _like_ to do some improper things to you."

_Maybe you should get your fucking paws the hell off of me._ She snapped silently but she simply smiled and shook her head.

"Oh no… no, no, no… not until I'm married," she simpered mawkishly.

The clouds of lust in his eyes dissipated slightly and his brows furrowed together in a frown. "Married?" He asked, his face clouded over by confusion. "You mean… you don't want to—" His mouth opened and closed trying to find the right words. Rukia's amusement was only further heightened by the odd gesticulations of his hands. It seemed he was trying to _mime _what he wanted her to understand. He settled for staring at her intensely and placing more emphasis on his words. "You don't want to… _you_ know… _before?_"

Rukia took a moment to mentally congratulate the stupid brute before placing one of her small hands onto her chest and batting her eyelashes softly. "I will only give myself to the man I marry."

He blanched and Rukia allowed her soul to chuckle darkly.

His mouth hung open and he took a few steps back. "But don't you _want_ to?"

She shook her head and tried to look like an innocent virgin. She didn't know if she could pull it off, it had been a while since she'd been one. "Not until I meet the man I love… with _all _my heart."

He was uncomfortable now. She shifted her eyes towards him and smirked softly when she saw the word 'damn' written clearly across his forehead. She shrugged and smiled. She couldn't help it if she had that effect on hormonally charged young men.

"Oh, a-alright then." He shifted his feet on the ground and scuffed one shoe against a dent in the sidewalk. "Well, if you're—if you're sure."

She twittered her eyelashes again and smiled heartily. "I am."

He nodded and shifted uncomfortably. It was only then, when she took a quick look down, that she realized he had been mentally preparing himself for the moment that had just slipped through his fingers.

"Alright then," he sighed and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. She welcomed it with only the slightest bit of revulsion but smiled and waved when he turned to leave.

She waited until she couldn't see his retreating figure any longer. Her heels clicked anxiously on the ground and she breathed heavily as she watched his mop of expertly styled hair turn the corner. She let out a deep sigh of relief and immediately pivoted. Her eyes caught that of the doorman and she nodded hopefully. The man tipped his hat at her and gave her a sly grin.

"The usual Miss?" He asked softly, a graciously light twinkle apparent in his eyes.

Rukia nodded her head thankfully. "Yes. I—um, I went out with him for coffee." She finished hurriedly and bowed slightly, "Thank you James."

"No problem Miss." He winked at her and she let out a weak smile. It took one brave soul to lie so blatantly to her brother. But James knew what he was doing. She knew she could trust him. The extra tip money she gave him also helped ease his sufferings.

With one final nod in his direction Rukia took off. Her legs worked furiously and the dirty air of the city filtered through her hair as she walked as fast as her heels would allow.

"Damn it," she muttered, cursing her choice of footwear more than anything else.

As she sped towards the grittier part of town a couple of men sent her catcalls and whistles but she paid them no mind. Her eyes scanned the buildings until the one she was looking for appeared.

She cursed once again and clumsily slid the key off of the chain from her neck. She dug it into the door and opened it quickly. Her thighs burned as she clamored up the steps and hurriedly knocked on the door to apartment number sixteen.

"Uryu!" She called, standing on her tiptoes so her voice might carry a bit more, "Uryu! It's Rukia, open up please!"

She heard the locks on the door being ritually removed—one, two, three, four—the knob turned and the door slid open.

A thin man with pale skin, black hair, and glasses opened the door. He gave her a calculating stare before smiling ruefully. "Another date, huh Kuchiki?"

She gave him a wry glare and huffed her way inside of the apartment. "How'd you guess?" She demanded as she shucked off her coat and threw it across a chair.

Uryu Ishida rolled his eyes and leaned against the frame. His spider-like hands reached out and he redid all of the locks on the door. "He's been sulking ever since he got back."

She shot him a swift glance, "And when was that?"

He shrugged, "About twenty minutes."

Rukia groaned and moved a manicured hand to her forehead. "Shit." She spat. "He's probably mad as hell by now."

Uryu chuckled and nodded, "The longer he's left to stew the angrier he gets."

She groaned and he reached towards a wayward coat-rack to tug off his navy jacket. He gave her a sly glance and then shook his head. "But don't worry. I'm going over to Orihime's so you two can have all the time you need to… work things out." He winked at her and then took all of the locks out of their places. "Tie these back up when you're done." He told her as he slipped out of the door.

She nodded and slid each lock into place once the door was clicked shut. She frowned and turned towards the room off to the right. With a huff she bent down to un-strap her heels and gingerly pried them off her feet. Standing up, she straightened her shoulders and pattered towards the room.

The door was closed and she could hear his stereo pulsating inside. It was one of the strange alternative bands he liked listening to… but only when he was angry. She groaned and rolled her eyes. This wasn't going to be easy. She knew he hated it when she went on dates with other men but come _on_, he should have at least been used to it by now.

She knocked on the door softly but he didn't answer. She knocked again, this time more forcefully, but all she got was some garbled shout telling 'Uryu' to 'go the fuck away.'

Frowning, she finally tugged the knob in her hand and pushed the door open.

Ichigo Kurosaki was laying face-down on his bed. His head was stuffed into his pillow. He was still fully dressed except for his shoes. She couldn't see his face but his aura was one of anger and frustration. She narrowed her eyes dangerously and stomped forward. Damn it, if he was going to sit here and sulk after she just went through a horrid night with a horrid date wearing horrid shoes then she just wasn't going to bother.

She came to the side of his bed—which was really more of a futon—and brought her knee up high. In one agile move she smacked her naked heel into his head and began to grind his face down into the pillow.

"Hey!" He shouted but against the soft squishiness of the bed his voice was muffled and garbled.

She kept her foot on the back of his head and watched him flair witlessly against the bed. "Don't say that to me!" She commanded hotly and she watched his body stiffen at the recognition of her voice. "You're acting like a two year old." She spat acerbically.

His hand swung around and he grasped her ankle tightly. She squeaked as he twisted on the bed and adjusted his grip on her leg. Within a second his burning gaze was crawling its way inside of her startled eyes. She gulped and shivered as he continued to stare at her. God, she always hated him and loved him when he did that; the way he stared at her made her feel naked and exposed but still comforted and secure. It was like fire and ice meeting in one sinfully sensuous dance between their eyes.

The entire moment, however, was completely ruined when Ichigo grasped her ankle with both hands and tugged… _hard_.

She yelped and sent her arms flying back to cushion her fall but it didn't help. She landed flat on her bottom on the dirty floor of his room. A grumbling groan escaped her mouth and she hissed when he let go of her foot.

"You insensitive, man-handling, _child!_" She snarled as she lashed her foot out and kicked him.

He dodged it easily and moved lithely off of his bed. Within a second he was lying atop of her. His knees were between her legs, his hands were planted on either side of her body, trapping her, and her small form was lying underneath of his, she was raised only slightly by the angle of her arms. His burning glare was staring directly into hers. She gulped silently and tried to lean backwards so she could simply get away from his piercing eyes… but she just couldn't. She was naked once again. He could see everything in her soul right now.

His face lurched forward and his lips covered hers. She didn't even have time to blink before he was moving and driving into her erotically. One of his hands came up to hold the back of her head as he kissed her fiercely. She groaned and allowed her mouth to open to him immediately. He slipped his tongue inside and tangled with hers violently. For a few moments she feared she would pass out from the sweetly brilliant torture he was inflicting upon her. He had always been so good at kissing and tonight was no exception. All at once the throbbing sensations returned to the center of her legs and this time she didn't bother to push them away.

One of her hands came up to his hair and her fingers twisted and turned against the strands of brilliant orange. His teeth nipped at her lips and she groaned as he smashed her closer to him. Her hands reached up and ran over his entire upper-body. She groaned when she felt his hard muscles through his thin shirt. Every line and ridge was so well defined through the fabric. She shuddered and raked her nails down the front of his chest.

Abruptly, he pulled away and grasped the back of her neck. She breathed hard as he leveled his face above hers and scowled darkly, "How many more?" He panted hotly.

She swallowed hard and shook her head. "W-What do you mean?"

_What did I mean what did he mean?_ She scolded herself ruefully. _Of course I know what he means! The dates, remember?_

He sent his mouth down to her neck and allowed his tongue to slip from his lips. She felt her eyes roll back in her head as his moist, wet, velvety tongue slid over her neck and swirled around her pulse. Her breasts puckered inside of her shirt and she had the itching desire to remove it.

He growled and bit down lightly. "How many more dates?" He demanded. His teeth became more insistent on her neck and she felt him smirk evilly. "Tell me or I'll give you a hickey."

She gasped and raised one of her hands to his shoulder. She shoved hard and pushed him away until he was no longer on top of her but lying with his back against the futon. His face, which always seemed to be carved into a solid frown, was livid. His chest was heaving and his lower regions looked distinctly larger than they normally were.

"How many more?" He insisted breathlessly. His eyes seemed to be on fire and she was quite sure hers looked the exact same way.

"I don't know!" She cried, straightening her shirt and lightly brushing off her skirt, which he had managed to pull up in the short seconds he had been kissing her. "I'll go on them until my brother finally realizes that I can make my own choices!"

"Why don't you tell him about us?" He scolded hotly. He moved a bit and ended up crossing his arms over his chest.

Her eyes bugged out and she slammed her palms down onto the floor. "Do you _want_ to be killed?"

He turned his head to the side and huffed, "I can take care of myself."

"Not with my brother you can't." She told him acidly.

He was still staring off to the side, muttering to himself, cursing the world. Inside, Rukia was doing the same thing. This was like fucking _Romeo and Juliet_. He was from the streets and she… well, she wasn't. She had a penthouse and he had a rundown apartment. She had full tuition payments to a private institution and he had a scholarship. She had multiple credit cards and he had two jobs. She had a luxury car and he took the bus.

But she loved him. God she loved him. She loved him so much it hurt to think of going on without him. She hated going on dates with "socially appropriate" men because she only wanted to be with him. He had wormed his way so far into her heart and into her soul that she never wanted to get him out. Hell, even if she actually _wanted_ to get him out she wouldn't be able to. She loved him… his scowl, his temper, his teasing, his attitude, his wit, and his body—everything. She would gladly give up every ounce of privilege she had been born with in order to live in this crummy apartment with him if it meant just being together.

But she couldn't. He knew she couldn't. He knew that if she tried her brother would come after them as fast and as hard as he could. He knew that they had to wait. It was just a few years more but still… it was hard.

"Che," he scoffed and shook his head, turning back towards her. He must have seen the horribly guilty look on her face and the deepening sorrow in her eyes because the next thing she knew he was smirking softly. "I'm in love with and uptown girl." He muttered softly. "I can't believe it."

She smiled weakly at him and gently crawled over to where he was sitting. She moved until her hips were straddling his and his face was locked between her hands.

Her deep, azure eyes penetrated his and she smiled even more. "I love you too." She pressed kisses to his cheeks and his nose. "I just don't want you to get hurt. You know about Byakuya."

He sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist, effectively pulling her in for a hug and burying his face between her shoulder and neck. "I know, I know… just so long as you stay _my _uptown girl." He murmured, his hot breath caressing her skin. He kissed a path on her neck—making sure not to suck too hard in case he gave her a hickey—and muttered, "So… what'd you say to make him leave so fast?"

She turned and frowned at him. "How do you know he left fast?"

He scowled at her and then cocked an eyebrow. "I saw you at seven, you normally take an hour to eat, it's a twenty minute walk to your penthouse and you have to waste ten minutes trying to get a guy to leave. After that… well, it's a thirty minute speed-walk to my apartment." He pulled up his sleeve and looked at his watch, "It is… eight fifty right now." He smirked at her stare of disbelief and cocked his head to the side. "So what'd ya do?"

She took a moment to marvel at his ridiculously intense observation skills before she looped her arms around his neck and began to toy with his hair playfully. She smirked and sighed, "I played the little simpering virgin." She snickered and Ichigo burst out laughing.

"You must be a really good actor then!" He snorted and she hit him in the gut… hard.

"Well it's your fault I have to act." She muttered hotly and pushed him—still groaning in pain—back onto his bed. "If I had never met you I wouldn't be ruined for anyone else."

He grinned and twisted so he could pull her beneath him. She sighed dejectedly and moved up to kiss him. He kissed her back and reached his hand out to turn up the volume of the radio… just in case Uryu came home early.

He seemed _completely_ ready to show this uptown girl exactly what this hot blooded downtown boy could do to her.


	3. Stop and Stare

_**This town is colder now, I think it's sick of us -- It's time to make our move, I'm shakin' -- off the rust -- I've got my heart set, on anywhere but here -- I'm staring down myself, counting up the years -- Steady hands, just take the wheel... -- And every glance is killing me -- Time to make one last appeal... for the life I lead.**_

_**Stop and stare -- I think I'm moving but I go nowhere -- Yeah I know that everyone gets scared -- But I've become what I can't be, oh -- Stop and stare -- You start to wonder why you're 'here' not there -- And you'd give anything to get what's fair -- But fair ain't what you really need -- Oh, can u see what I see**_

_**They're tryin' to come back, all my senses push -- Un-tie the weight bags, I never thought I could... -- Steady feet, don't fail me now -- Gonna run till you can't walk -- But something pulls my focus out -- And I'm standing down...**_

_**Stop and stare -- I think I'm moving but I go nowhere -- Yeah I know that everyone gets scared -- But I've become what I can't be, oh -- Stop and stare -- You start to wonder why you're here not there -- And you'd give anything to get what's fair -- But fair ain't what you really need -- Oh, you don't need**_

_**What u need, what u need...**_

_**Stop and stare -- I think I'm moving but I go nowhere -- Yeah I know that everyone gets scared -- But I've become what I can't be -- Oh, do u see what I see...**_

_**Stop and Stare – One Republic**_

**Stop and Stare**

**By Rogue Amazon Boo**

Retsu Unohana walked down the deserted halls of the fourth division infirmary, her sandal clad feet echoing. She normally wouldn't be up this late, but she'd been unable to sleep so she'd made some tea. As she walked she could hear patients rustling and moaning in their sleep, but as she passed the comfort of her spiritual pressure brushed against them and they quieted.

Smiling, her soft saintly smile, she gracefully made her way to the room at the far end of the hall and paused in the open doorway.

She wasn't surprised to see him here. He had a bad habit of sneaking in when everyone was asleep. He never said anything. He simply sat cross-legged on the floor, his massive zanpakutō resting against his shoulder while he stared at her.

Unohana wanted to go to him, wanted to smooth his ridiculous orange hair away from his brow, kiss his furrowed forehead, and tell him that it would be alright. Much like a mother with her favorite son, but she knew he was too proud to accept such comfort.

Especially since he blamed himself.

The healer looked from the lanky, proud man to the slight form laying on the futon in front of him. She was the polar opposite of the young man. Where he was tall, lanky, and toned, with hair and eyes reminiscent of the sun at sunrise, she was petite and willowy, with dark hair and eyes that perfect shade of indigo found in the sky at dusk.

Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki, two different, but remarkable soul reapers who made the most unlikely couple the Soul Society had ever seen.

Their fights were legendary. When Ichigo's spirit had been freed from the confines of his human form and he'd come to live permanently in the soul society, he and Rukia had engaged in a battle of wills that was still murmured about among the ranks of his subordinates to this day.

The denizens of the afterlife hadn't understood, and some still didn't, how someone with as much raw power as Kurosaki would allow himself to be kowtowed by someone like Rukia Kuchiki.

Rukia, who he'd long since surpassed in power. Rukia, whose only real claim to infamy was the fact that she was Byakuya Kuchiki's adopted sister and heir to his clan.

For all intents and purposes Ichigo was powerful enough to crush her, but instead he'd continued to battle her they same way he had since he first met her when he was fifteen.

As his equal.

Unohana's soft smile turned wistful. She understood all too well why Ichigo treated Rukia the way he did. Love, after all, was blind. It had probably never even occurred to him to use his vast spiritual power against her, and she knew, it never would.

"You gonna lurk in the hallway all night?" he said gruffly. That was her cue. Pulling on her celestial saint demeanor like a cloak, the healer crossed over to him and offered him the second cup she'd brought with her. He took it grudgingly.

"Back again, Kurosaki-tachio."

He grunted and she sank down next to him, holding her tea cup demurely. His gaze never left Rukia's still form.

"Gonna kick me out again, Unohana?"

She sighed and took a sip from her cup. "Would there be a point? You'd simply return after I'd gone, the way you have each night that I insisted you return to your quarters and get some much needed rest. If you have no desire to care for yourself Kurosaki-tachio, then there is not much more I can do."

He smirked. "You don't really expect me to buy that you've given up that easily, do you?"

She inclined her head. "Of course not, but it is very impolite of you to point out such a blatant lie, especially since I'm only concerned for your health. You can not keep up this pace, Kurosaki-tachio. You perform the time consuming and very physical task of aShinigami Division Captain and then return here to hold vigil at night. You can not keep going like this."

His face turned down into its normal scowl and he tilted the tea cup, eyeing the contents warily.

"You drug this?" A decidedly unorthodox and mischievous smirk twisted the healer's lips.

"Drink it and find out." He grunted again and set the cup aside. She sighed in exasperation and placed a gentle hand on his forearm."

"You need to sleep, Ichigo."

The lack of formality in her address disturbed him. It showed him a glimpse of just how deeply concerned she was.

"I'll sleep when Rukia wakes up." She frowned gently and hesitantly began.

"It's been two months..." She trailed off. "She's not responding as well as we'd hoped to the treatment."

He snatched his arm away and stood up, agitated.

"Y-You're not giving up?" It was a plea more than a question. The healer rose gracefully to her feet and regarded the man before her with steady, kind eyes.

"I do not give up on my patients, Kurosaki-tachio," she said formally. "Now, get some sleep, if not in your quarters than here."

He smirked again. "I thought that was against the rules? Didn't you shriek and beat me last time?"

She flushed and straightened her shoulders. "Yes well, if you refuse to listen to my sage advice the least I can do is offer you a compromise. Good night, Kurosaki-tachio."

He'd already turned his attention back to Rukia, but not before muttering, "Good night, Unohana."

She nodded and took her leave, but not before tracing his profile with concern one last time.

Ichigo sat back down, stared at Rukia and became lost once again in his own troubled thoughts.

"Kami midget, why did you follow me? Why the fuck do you always have to be so goddamn stubborn? I fucking told you I could handle it."

And he could have handled it. That old bastard Yamamoto wouldn't have sent him in if he hadn't thought Ichigo could get the job done, despite everyone saying it was a suicide mission. He fucking would have been fine, dammit!

He traced Rukia's unnaturally pale face. It had been a Menos Grande, a big, old, nasty mother fucker that had been terrorizing the Rukongai's outer districts. It had only been a Gillian class and Ichigo could have handled it, had not Rukia foolishly followed him.

He still remembered the horror he'd felt when the hollow's claw-like hand had punched through her stomach and left a gaping, bleeding hole in her side. He could still see the expression on her face when she'd met his eyes and fallen.

He watched her until she went unconscious and had done something unforgivable in the eyes of the Captain Yamamoto. He'd abandoned his duty, scooped Rukia up, and shunpoed all they way to fourth division headquarters, cradling her broken body against his while her blood soaked his robes.

Yamamoto had not been pleased with him and had threatened to strip him of his Captaincy. Ichigo hadn't cared and had come close to insulting the powerful Soul Society head to the point where Yamamoto would have destroyed him. Surprisingly, it had been Byakuya who'd stepped forward on his behalf and his penance had been downgraded from imminent death to suspension.

The head of the Kuchiki clan didn't explain why he'd stuck up for Ichigo against the old man and Ichigo hadn't asked. When they'd walked out of the meeting Byakuya had simply said.

"_You've become what you can't be."_

"_Keh, and what's that?" He scoffed._

_Byakuya's dark eyes bore into him. "Weak." He walked away._

"I'm not weak," he muttered, stood up, crossed over to Rukia, and laid down next to her. He propped his head up in his hands and watched the steady rise and fall of her chest. She'd been in a coma for two months, two long, soul crushing months.

Ichigo leaned forward and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"I'm not weak midget, I swear I'm not. I promised my mother, swore that I'd never be weak again. I don't give a fuck what they say about you. You were the one who gave me my power; you are the one who makes me stronger. You do not make me weak. You have to wake up for me."

Kami, he couldn't believe the crap coming out of his mouth lately. If Rukia had been awake she probably would have hit him and called him a sappy idiot. The problem was that she wasn't awake and as the days lengthened the ache in his chest grew steadily worse.

He placed his arm around her waist and curled his body around her still form, remembering.

_Naked and __fuming she stood over the orange haired moron yelling._

"_You stupid baka! Why do you always do this? Why do you always volunteer for the most dangerous missions? What the fuck are you trying to prove Ichigo!"_

_Scowling, he pushed himself out of bed and started gathering his clothing. They were strewn all over the room and ripped in parts, and he just knew that if anyone saw him leave they'd know exactly what he and Rukia had been up to, but he didn't care._

"_Leave it, midget. I'm going. I can handle it. Leave it alone."_

"_Fuck you," she snarled and hurled a vase at his head. He ducked and rounded on her._

"_What the fuck, Rukia?" She marched over to him, her body visibly shaking._

"_You thick-skulled, dim-witted, masochistic troglodyte, baka! This is a fucking suicide mission. I don't know what the hell the old man was thinking sending in a baby Soul Reaper like you!"_

_He went dangerously still. "Bitch, I'm not a fucking kid anymore!" She crossed her arms, smirked, and cocked an eyebrow._

"_So this temper tantrum is what? A sign of your budding maturity?"_

_His smirk turned nasty. "At least I ain't some two hundred plus year old cock obsessed cradle robber." She gapped at him and her rage tripled._

"_Y-You…Y-you…"_

_He kissed her quick and fierce, evading her teeth when she tried to bite his tongue, and walked away smirking. He heard another vase crash against the grain of the door he'd just closed._

That was the last conversation they had. He really was a fucking idiot. Something that felt suspiciously like tears dusted his lashes. He blinked them away and scowled.

He'd never told her he loved her, always afraid that saying the words to her really would have made him weak. He'd been a fool.

He kissed the side of her neck. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he muttered over and over and over again. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on him.

All the time they'd been together everyone around him had tried to tell him that she made him vulnerable. They insisted, like her brother had, that she was his weakness.

They just didn't fucking get it.

"Rukia you gotta wake up. I've become what I can't be."

Now in this instant and since the instant she'd fallen he'd become what they'd warned him against. He'd become weak, because Ichigo Kurosaki needed what the other soul reapers did not.

He needed to have someone he cared enough about to protect.

He tightened his hold on her. He'd failed her. Failed to keep his promise to her and to keep her safe, failed her like he failed his mother.

With a growl he screamed into the futon, allowing the material to muffle the sound. He kept screaming until he felt small, lithe fingers running through his hair. Startled he raised his head. Bright indigo eyes stared up at him.

"Baka, I'm tired, why did you scream in my ear? I'm trying to get some sleep."

Stunned he whispered. "R-Rukia?" He was half afraid he was dreaming. She yawned and scowled at him.

"Who the hell else would I be? Go to sleep Ichigo," she muttered and turned so his body was spooned against her spine and backside. In an instant she was slumbering again. Ichigo looked down at his midget in disbelief and then a large smirk twisted his harsh features.

"Figures," he muttered. He gathered her close and closed his eyes. He'd promised Unohana he'd sleep when Rukia finally woke up and he always tried to keep his promises.

Trust his Rukia to wake up from a two month coma with a whimper instead of a bang. She always had to do the thing he least expected, just to be contrary.

Ichigo held her close, splayed his large hand over her scarred abdomen, and felt contentment suffuse his being.

She'd come back to him.

He was strong again.


	4. Something to Talk About

**Something to Talk About **

**By Bonnie Raitt **

People are talkin', talking bout people  
I hear them whisper, you won't believe it  
They think were lovers, kept under covers  
I just ignore it, but they keep saying  
We laugh just a little too loud  
We stand just a little too close  
We stare just a little too long  
Maybe they're seeing, something we don't, darlin'

Let's give them something to talk about  
Let's give them something to talk about  
Let's give them something to talk about  
How about love?

I feel so foolish, I never noticed  
You'd act so nervous, could you be falling for me?  
It took a rumor to make me wonder  
Now I'm convinced I'm going under  
Thinking bout you every day  
Dreaming bout you every night  
Hoping that you feel the same way  
Now that we know it, lets really show it, darlin'

Let's give them something to talk about  
A little mystery to figure out  
Lets give them something to talk about  
How about love, love, love, love?

**Something To Talk About**

**By Tituba**

**Rating: K**

Rukia poked her gelatin and watched it wiggle. The squiggling mass of orange waved at her for a few moments before it went still. She poked it again, this time piercing it with her fork. It flailed in supposed pain before she ripped off a chunk and plopped it inside her mouth. She squinted her eyes in disgust and her nose wrinkled as she demolished the quivering mass before swallowing. She made a face but remembered to wipe her mouth delicately with her napkin before starting again.

She never really liked orange gelatin snacks. They had always been too sour and too… _unstable_. But really, what else was she supposed to eat? The Fourth Squad was so overrun with injured personnel that all the _good_ food was being consumed while it was practically still being cooked. She didn't mind too terribly though, it had been her request to be shut away in this small back room. So she could understand if people sometimes forgot to bring her the edible food.

Half of her still didn't know why she had requested to be stuck in this tiny room for her recuperation period. She told herself it was because she wanted a bit of quiet, perhaps some order mixed in with her currently frazzled life, but she also knew that she should be craving the noisiness of the Soul Society. Hell, after being stuck in that horrid, white, power-sucking tower for so long any type of commotion should have been a gift. She should want to be out in the melee of people rushing around, chatting amiably, spreading useless gossip, or possibly fighting in some of the training rooms. However, strange as it was, she didn't want any of that. She wanted to think.

Rukia sighed, pushed away her tray of bland food, and groaned heavily. With another grumble she pushed away the sheets of her hospital-issued bed and hopped onto the floor. Her white yukata—so similar to the one she had worn while she was imprisoned—was rumpled and stained with bits of breakfast. She momentarily cursed herself for being so clumsy and slowly stripped it off, careful to step away from the window so as to keep any spying perverts—Kon in particular—at bay.

With another tired sigh, she reached under the bed and pulled out a box with freshly laundered kimonos inside. The kimonos were only a small portion of the number of gifts Byakuya had spontaneously given her over the past couple of days. At first she had been confused by his outward show of affection. After a time, however, she realized that he was merely trying to repent for almost having her killed.

Yet another thing that made these kimonos so special was that she knew they used to belong to her sister… Hisana. Rukia simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to wear something that was once owned by her elusive sibling. With that in mind, she set about choosing which kimono to wear. All of them were insanely and elegantly beautiful; the one she ended up choosing was a glowing shade of dark blue and had many silver flowers stitched into the fabric. Simply donning it made Rukia feel like a princess.

When she was finished tying the obi Rukia smiled softly and twirled on her toes. The folds of the kimono flew out, soft as butterfly wings. She sighed happily and pictured her sister wearing the same outfit.

Byakuya had allowed her to see the portrait he kept of Hisana in their family shrine. She had nearly teared when she saw it but had to remind herself that she was with her brother, and crying before him was not in any way tolerated.

When she first saw her sister Byakuya stiffly told her that the portrait had been made when Hisana was in better health. Rukia had only nodded in awe and was instantly reminded of the days when she had been newly adopted into the Kuchiki Family. She had been told that she was chosen because she resembled the late wife of Byakuya Kuchiki. But now, finally seeing her older sister for the very first time Rukia couldn't see how anyone could have ever thought they looked alike. Hisana's face was… timeless, soft, and elegant. Her eyes were a gentle shade of lavender, her smile was timid and peaceful, her hair was parted differently, and her nose held a type of perfection that Rukia did not possess.

She, when compared to Hisana, was all sharp angles, all tough lines and furrowed brows. Her eyes were not gentle, they were easily stirred into anger or resentment or frustration. She was not peaceful. She was not quiet. She was not demure. She was Rukia.

Coming back to reality, Rukia smoothed down the edges of her—Hisana's—kimono and padded out into the hall. Her feet were bare. She knew they shouldn't have been but she doubted anyone would really pay attention to her feet.

Granted, she was now the Soul Society's unofficial celebrity so she _was_ getting a bit more attention than usual. Stories about her were pouring out of every mouth and passing onto any unsuspecting ear. Most all of them were false but she knew that she couldn't possibly hope to stem the flow of rumors that were currently circulating the Seiretei.

She furrowed her brows as she walked out of the back door to the Fourth Squad. She made sure to skirt around any shards of broken glass that had accidentally missed the trashcans. Her eyes were pooled near her toes as she continued walking.

Most of the rumors were about her and a certain orange haired freak.

_No,_ she chastised herself lightly. _Not a freak. A boy. A very stubborn, ignorant, willful… _boy.

Not that she could blame most of the Soul Society for their interest. It wasn't completely undeserved. Everyone knew the lengths he had gone through to save her. He had trained, fought, achieved bankai, fought, stopped a giant, fiery, bird, tore down a scaffold, fought, and nearly died.

All to rescue her.

Rukia's face warmed as she traveled around the back streets and alleys. There were just so many stories about the two of them. All of their tales usually contained a mixture of valiant fights, romantic travails, and relentless pursuits.

Emphasis on the romantic travails.

Rukia turned her face to the sky as she walked. It was almost dusk. A few birds were chirping in the trees above her, she could hear a cacophonous symphony of grasshoppers and cicadas nearby, and a number of bees were frantically buzzing back to their hives. She aimlessly kicked a stone out of the way and sighed.

She wondered where Ichigo was right now. She hadn't seen him since Aizen disappeared. Her mind blurred as she remembered how she last saw him: bleeding and dying, barely conscious, holding onto life through sheer force of his stubborn will. She snorted and shook her head. That was Ichigo, purely, stupidly, arrogantly… Ichigo.

A light song formed in her throat and she hummed lightly. Her head was inclined towards the sky and she softly closed her eyes.

She missed his closet. She missed the musty smell of his clothing and tight corners of his room. She missed seeing him in the morning all rumpled and rueful from a night of interrupted sleep. She missed his frowning smile. She missed going to school with him. She missed the excitement of sneaking out his window every morning. She missed having him bring her extra food during dinner. She missed sneaking out in the middle of the night to take a shower only to come back and see Ichigo awake and waiting for her. She missed copying his homework only to have him tease her about it later. She missed yelling at him for getting wounded then tending his hurts not a moment later. She missed calling him and idiot. She missed—

She needed to stop right now.

Rukia rolled her eyes and mentally chastised herself. She couldn't possibly miss _everything_ about him. It was impossible. She honestly didn't understand how she could hate him when he was around but like him when he was gone. Besides, it wasn't even her place to start whining about things she couldn't have.

_Don't want to have,_ she told herself ruefully even though she knew she was lying to herself.

She knew that there was something more to the way she and Ichigo treated each other. He wouldn't have come all the way to the Soul Society if it hadn't felt something… _more_. He risked his life to save hers, a woman he had known for barely two months. Actually, that was the fact that people in the Soul Society liked to elaborate on the most. _Two months,_ they said enthusiastically, _it must have been love at first sight!_

Rukia always laughed when she heard that, "Yes, love at first sight… but was that before or after I stabbed him in the heart with my sword?"

Any of the nurses she told this to simply shook their heads and called the stab in the heart "ironic" or "like fate."

She continued walking. A couple of people nodded to her on the streets and she politely nodded back but she didn't pay much more attention than that. A few of people—once they saw her—did a double take. Rukia only smiled at them and bowed again but kept on her way. She knew that the second she was out of ear shot they would begin to talk about her. Rumors and all.

Light was falling sparingly onto the streets by the time Rukia's senses flared and she felt the reiatsu of someone very familiar nearby. She smirked and rolled her eyes.

"What do you want, Ichigo?"

She heard a small groan from behind her and suddenly the young man appeared at her side. He lamely scratched his head and snorted, "I thought you were still too weak to sense reiatsu."

Her foot lashed out immediately and struck him in the shin. He growled painfully and hissed as he hobbled to keep up with her.

"Hmph," she snorted, "Serves you right. Calling _me_ weak, I can still whoop your ass any time."

"Oh sure," he jibed sarcastically, "Half of Soul Society couldn't take me down but _you_ can. That's rich."

"You just don't want to admit it." She said haughtily, ignoring the slight jab at her lack of immediate power.

There was a slight pause and he didn't say anything in response, which was quite rare considering that this was the type of conversation that normally blossomed into physical abuse. Instead he closed the small distance between them and brushed his elbow against her shoulder.

"That kimono looks good on you." He said. His tone was trying to make it sound as though the comment was nothing big, but Rukia saw the furious blush that was now painting itself on his cheeks.

To her surprise, she reddened as well. Her eyes were immediately averted to the ground and she coughed lightly. "Um, thanks… Byakuya gave it to me."

"Oh," he muttered softly.

She moved her hands in front of her waist and clasped them tightly. "Yeah. It was… um, Hisana's."

Ichigo blinked at her and she gave him a swift, reassuring, smile. "You know, Nii-sama's wife… my sister?"

He nodded and stretched his arms above his head before gently plopping them down onto his mop of orange hair. He scratched his skull thoughtfully. "It's nice that you two are talking."

"Yeah…" she murmured again before her pounding heart allowed her to steal a glance at him.

She loved the way the sun was falling on him right now. The golden rays seemed desperate to find some sort of purchase before they were swallowed by the darkening sky. Nearly half of his face was cast in shadows but the other was burning a fiery yellow that brought out all of his distinctively strong features. His nose threw a sharp profile onto his face, his smirking mouth was curled gently into a peaceful grin, his furrowed brow was lessened by the calmness of the day, and his eyes were illuminated until they were almost gold. Not to mention his hair looked as if it was set ablaze. He was Apollo right now. He was the indomitable god of the sun who had come down in human form to grace her empty life.

He turned towards her and their gazes were caught inside each other. Blood gushed to her face as she quickly averted her eyes. _How embarrassing,_ she groaned mentally, _he's not supposed to actually _see_ me looking at him._

Still, she had to admit that watching him was one of her secret hobbies. Back when she lived in his closet she used to love slipping out into his room in the middle of the night and standing by his bed. He always looked so peaceful whenever he slept. Barely any frown lines marred his face and even his lips curled into a happy, drugged, smile. Occasionally, if she was bold enough, she would reach out and smooth his hair away from his face. He always smiled drowsily when she did that. She had an inkling that he was thinking about his mother whenever she brushed his hair back but she didn't mind. Anything she could do that would bring him the slightest bit of comfort was a blessing. She wouldn't let anyone take it away.

"Um," he began. His voice was quiet and mumbling but it wasn't like Rukia could blame him. She had practically been molesting him with her eyes. "I—I wanted to t-talk to you about something."

She cleared her throat and breathed out rapidly. A change of subject was desperately needed. "Okay, shoot."

Ichigo looked at the ground and coughed lightly. "Um, people are talking." He stated bluntly.

Rukia's brain whirred and clicked as snippets of gossip from the Soul Society gathered in her mind. They congealed into the wild rumors of hidden passions, shy romances, and concealed infatuations. She quickly placed a hand to her forehead and nervously brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "People always talk about other people." She laughed anxiously.

"Yeah… well," he shrugged and slowed to a complete stop. Rukia stopped beside him. He looked down at her and swallowed. He seemed nearly as jittery as she. She glanced down at his hands and saw them smushed and twitching inside his pockets. "They've been saying we… well, you know…"

She nodded slowly and chuckled dryly, "Laugh just a _little_ too loud, stand just a _little_ too close, and stare just a _little_ too long." She looked up at him and smiled weakly. "Right?"

He nodded and turned his head so he could look at her. She smiled softly and he grinned back. They just stood there, once again caught up in each other's gazes. Rukia stared into his molten amber eyes and softened her smile when she saw them change back and forth between tones of honey and gold.

The fading sunlight must have been doing funny things to her brain, that's what she concluded as she stood and watched Ichigo's eyes grow closer and closer to hers. Their noses were almost touching but she could not tear her gaze away from his. She saw his eyelids slide slowly down until his lashes were nearly flush against his cheeks. Then suddenly, she couldn't see anymore either. The tips of their noses touched and their breathing mingled softly. Rukia could feel the sunlight dappling onto her face as Ichigo tilted his face to the side and slowly brushed his lips against hers. It was the barest of touches. Hardly enough to garner the label of an actual kiss. But it was there. It was there and it was real.

Rukia swallowed and blinked twice before slowly pulling away. Ichigo seemed to be thinking the same thing and pulled back softly. There they were, staring at one another again.

She was quite sure she knew what was going on in both of their minds namely because of what was happening in hers. _This would never work_ was flitting along her subconscious at the moment. _He's human_ was also very popular. _He's so young_ was still in the running but losing at the moment. _What would Nii-sama think_ was also holding onto her sense of fear.

It should have been enough to break her, to make her walk away in shame, to turn around and completely break his heart—if she had even been lodged in there in the first place. Those thoughts should have made her gently push him away or hit him or run… but standing here, alone with him now in the fading light of day, all of those reasons seemed so tiny and quiet… so _unimportant_.

Rukia smiled gently up into his face. Her hand reached out tentatively and felt for his rough, calloused, fingers. She looped her delicate digits into his and managed to squeeze lightly. He squeezed back and the two of them looked shyly at each other. She sighed as he rearranged their hands and threaded his tough fingers through her delicate ones. His thumb rubbed against her skin and she breathed in slowly and deeply.

"Do you want to give them something to talk about?" She finally whispered, looking down at the ground as she said it.

A strange sound was ripped from Ichigo's throat and Rukia immediately steeled her heart against something she hoped she would never have to endure. She kicked herself mentally as she scolded her faulty heart. She shouldn't have said anything. She should have just kept quiet and gone on with life as usual. He was the one who didn't need this right now, not with the possibility of Aizen coming back and with him returning to the real world and… and…

Her doubts were silenced with three tiny words.

"What about love?" He asked her quietly.

Her eyes met his again and an immediate smile bloomed on both of their faces. Their cheeks tinted pink as they gripped each other's hands tighter.

She shrugged casually and smiled, "Well… why not?"


	5. Hallelujah

_**I've heard there was a secret chord -- That David played, and he pleased the Lord -- **__**But you don't really care for music, do you? -- It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth --**__**The minor fall and the major lift -- The baffled king composing hallelujah.**_

_**Hallelujah, hallelujah -- Hallelujah, hallelujah.**_

_**Your faith was strong, but you needed proof -- You saw her bathing on the roof -- **__**Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you -- She tied you to her kitchen chair -- She broke your throne, she cut your hair --And from your lips you drew the hallelujah.**_

_**Hallelujah, hallelujah -- Hallelujah, hallelujah.**_

_**Baby, I've been here before -- I've know this room and I've walked this floor -- I used to live alone before I knew you -- I've seen your flag on the marble arch -- Love is not a victory march -- It's a cold, it's a broken hallelujah.**_

_**Hallelujah, hallelujah -- Hallelujah, hallelujah**_

_**There was a time when you let me know -- What's really going on below -- But now you never show it to me, do you? -- I remember when I moved in you -- And the Holy Dove was moving too -- And every breath we drew was hallelujah.**_

_**Hallelujah, hallelujah -- Hallelujah, hallelujah.**_

_**Maybe there is a God above -- All I've ever learned from love -- Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you -- And it's not a cry you can hear at night -- It's not somebody who's seen the light -- It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah.**_

_**Hallelujah, hallelujah -- Hallelujah, hallelujah -- Hallelujah, hallelujah -- Hallelujah, hallelujah -- Hallelujah, hallelujah -- Hallelujah, hallelujah -- Hallelujah.**_

_**Hallelujah -- Jeff Buckley**_

**Hallelujah**

**By Rogue Amazon Boo**

Ichigo Kurosaki had spent his whole life railing against the gods and he be damned if he was going to let those fuckers tell him what to do now. He growled softly, swung his leg into graceful kick and followed with a flurry of punches and jabs.

Anger, hot and deep, pulsed in his belly and it seemed to be becoming his perpetual emotional state. The ragged sweatpants he wore were stuck to his sweat soaked legs and his bare chest glistened, a testament to the intensity of his workout. Ichigo pivoted once more, his unshod feet allowing for better purchase on the mat. With a grunt he dug his toes in, launched his body into an arch, kicked out, landed and continued.

Disgusted, he scowled. His body lagged and the tension in his shoulders was throwing off his usually fluid movements. With a grunt he bent into his first stretch and attempted to cool down.

His amber gaze touched on the eccentric décor, chain mail, maces, swords, and ancient weaponry from various cultures littered the walls. Trust that crazy bastard Urahara to come up with something like this. He was in one of the nut job's many training rooms trying to escape well…her. He figured that it would mask his spiritual pressure enough so that she wouldn't find him. He'd thought wrong. Ichigo rolled into another stretch and bit back the curse that clawed at his throat. He should have figured she would track him down, and he growled softly as he felt her spiritual pressure moving closer and closer. He was so in tune to her that he felt it the moment she entered.

His face twisted in derision. He could feel her eyes on him. How fucking pathetic was that? Especially since he wasn't sure anymore if she was aware enough of him to even see him if he was standing in the middle of a room screaming.

"I'm going back." He grunted and turned, knowing what he would see the moment he did. His eyes caught those indigo pools that tortured his dreams and his memories erupted.

"_K-Kami I-Ichigo, harder…o-oh gods harder!"_

_Rukia Kuchiki, naked, her chest heaving, head thrown back in abandon, while he held her upright in his lap and thrust his straining cock into her. He growled and grasped her slim hips, slamming her down. She keened._

"I don't see anyone stopping you midget." He dismissed her and turned away. He didn't see the hurt in her eyes, but he heard the rage in her trembling voice.

"Bastard." He felt his own rage spike. Bastard? He was the bastard? He wasn't the one…

"_Fuck Rukia! You feel so fucking good." He wrapped his lips around the ridged peak of her left breast and she made a guttural sound deep in her throat. He felt himself moving in and out of her warm, wet heat and he still couldn't believe it was happening._

_All he knew was that he'd almost lost her in __Hueco Mundo__. He needed this, needed to physically show her what she did to him, how she made him feel. He still wasn't quite sure how they made it to this point. All he knew was one moment they'd been screaming at each other, the next they were fused at the mouth, trying to eat each other alive, and now…sweet Kami, now…_

_In and out he slid, hearing flesh slap. She moaned and made other delicious sounds that had his blood boiling…he was so close…_

"Whatever Rukia; now go on. Run back to your bastard brother and those Seireitei assholes like a good little shinigami."

He didn't register the fact he'd been kicked in the head until he was face planted in the mat. He lifted his head, ran his teeth over his gums, tasting blood. He spat and turned. She was standing over him…trembling.

"I fucking hate you," she whispered.

"_G-Gods Ichigo…don't stop, p-please." He drove into her faster and faster, until she was bouncing on his lap in rhythm to his deep thrusts. She screamed his name, her eyes flew open and Ichigo felt the damning words leave his lips as his cock poured deep inside of her._

"_Kami, I fucking love you Rukia."_

He shrugged laconically. "I've already told you how I feel, so I guess we're done here." He sat up and she stared down at him, confusion, pain, anger…and something else lurking in her depths.

"You didn't mean it." He spat blood out of his mouth again and his lips twisted into a sardonic grin.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night princess."

She slapped him. He felt the red mark stinging over his check and realized he deserved it. He was being a bastard, but he couldn't stop himself. His emotions were too raw. He hated her for that.

"You fucking bastard. You know I can't…Yamamoto is calling me back. I can't ignore my duty Ichigo. I'm shinigami and a Kuchiki, and you're just…

She trialed off and looked away, unwilling to allow him to see…

He snorted and scoffed. "Naw, I get it. I'm only human after all. Sure as hell didn't stop you from letting me ram my cock into your pussy."

She punched him this time, turned, and walked away. He smirked, but his eyes reflected a pain so soul deep that if she were to see it she might have reconsidered walking out on him. She didn't look back and he didn't stop watching her until she vanished. When she was gone his whole body sagged and he collapsed on the mat.

With a snarl of rage he slammed his fists against the plush material.

"_I-Ichigo, they found out…I don't know how, but __Yamamoto__ has commanded that I…" She paused. "I can't be with you anymore; I'm not allowed to see you. I-I'm sorry. I go back in three days."_

Ichigo railed against the heavens and swore this wasn't over.

* * *

Rukia went through the motions of paper work, but the depressing lethargy that had assailed her since she'd returned a week ago refused to leave. She closed her eyes and the minute she did images flashed.

_  
"Stop treating me like I'm going to break Ichigo! I'm not some fucking weak china doll!"_

_He wasn't listening; instead he moved in to loom over her, something she knew, that he knew, she absolutely detested. She refused to be intimidated and straitened her spine. It didn't do much. _

"_You almost fucking died Rukia! You are not going out tonight and that's fucking final!"_

_She attempted to kick him in the nuts, but he dodged her and pinned her to the wall with his hard body. She flushed…he wasn't wearing a shirt and her nipples seemed to be all too aware of the fact. They'd tightened instantly. Damn him and damn her traitorous body._

"_Bastard," she spat._

"_Bitch," he retaliated. They stood there, breathing hard, staring at each other, and moved simultaneously. Lips crushed, teeth clanked, and tongues were shoved down each others throats._

Rukia cursed. It was like a movie stuck on repeat. She just kept seeing it over and over again. She dropped her head into her hands. She should have never given in to him. She'd known at the time it was a mistake, so why the hell couldn't she get him out of her head.

_Ichigo ripped her pajama top but she didn't care, she'd simply steal something from Yuza later. She arched her back when his teeth nipped her nipple painfully. It shot heat straight to her weeping sex and when he soothed the hurt with the scratchy pad of his warm tongue she felt her panties become saturated._

_Kami, they couldn't do this, he was human, she was shinigami. He was alive and she was dead. They couldn't do this. He sucked on her peak hard and her reservations flew from her mind. He licked a path between the valley of her breasts and took the other nipple, using his large hands to massage the one he'd just left._

_His fingers and his tongue tortured her, rolling and pinching and simply driving her mad with want._

"_I-Ichigo," she whimpered._

"Ichigo," she growled and threw her quill down. She needed to get him out of her mind. She wasn't going to be seeing him again. Their time together was over before it had even really begun.

_He started kissing his way down her abdomen and she tangled her fingers into his orange hair, tugging slightly. He grunted, but didn't let it deter him from his goal. He reached the waist band of her pants, and ripped them, along with her panties, down her legs. She instinctively stepped out of them and he threw them across the room, steadied her hips, pushed her legs wide, and rammed his tongue into her. She cried out as he violently lapped at her, alternating between teasing her clit and trying to eat her whole. She gripped his hair, almost pulling it out at the roots._

_Her orgasm slammed into her, causing her to go momentarily deaf, dumb, and blind._

The order on the new regulations for female shinigami uniforms crumpled in her hands. He was a boy, a human, she shouldn't feel this way. She shouldn't feel like her heart had been ripped out of her chest.

_Rukia came down from her high, dropped to her knees, yanked his pajama pants down his legs, boxers and all, and wrapped her lips around his erection. Ichigo planted his hands against the wall and made a wild, animalistic sound in the back of his throat as she wrapped her tongue around his penis and sucked hard._

It should have only been sex, a physical release of the stress and terror they'd faced in Hueco Mundo, but then he'd said those words, those three damning little words.

_Rukia thought she'd died again, it was the only way to explain the intense pleasure of his large cock sliding in and out of her, brushing her engorged clit in just the right way. Her legs felt shaky and weak, and if Ichigo hadn't been assisting her up and down thrusts with his hands, she'd have collapsed against his chest. She'd never felt like this before. It was visceral and hot and hedonistic and spiritual all at once._

_So many feeling going through her body, not all of them purely physical, and it fucking terrified her. She wanted him to stop and at the same time she wanted him to fuck her until she passed out. She found herself begging._

"_G-Gods Ichigo…don't stop, p-please." _

"_Kami, I fucking love you Rukia."_

_Those words slammed into her they way her orgasm did, hard, fast, undeniable. She rode the waves of tremors, her body shaking; her heart weeping. Kami, please tell me he didn't…_

But he had and then Yamamoto had found out she'd had sex with a human and had given her an ultimatum. Come back, forget it ever happened and live, or stay and both would die. It was the both that had done it. It was benevolent of him, considering she'd once again done something that could have her exiled or put to death. She figured he'd only offered because of the current political climate and the fact that he didn't want to make a martyr out of her. Her own life, she was surprised to find, didn't tip the scales of her decision the way the threat to Ichigo's had.

It was déjà vu, except this time she'd hoped she'd broken his heart enough to stay away.

She cursed herself ten kinds of fool. She should never have given in to him, should never have allowed him to…

She closed her eyes. Sweet Kami, it had felt good and not just the physical release, but all of it. She was so hyper sensitive to his emotions and he to hers. They hadn't simply fucked, or made love…they'd touched souls.

Angry, she opened her eyes and ruthlessly scrawled her signature across the form in front of her. She needed to stop this…remembering. It was too painful. She had to let him go.

Love…

Love had never brought Rukia anything but heartache and pain. She'd loved Kaien. She'd loved him from afar, and with the knowledge that her love for him could never be anything greater than an unrequited longing. It was almost…safe, and even then it had almost destroyed her.

What she felt for Ichigo wasn't safe and if she didn't acknowledge it, then maybe she would manage to hold on to her sanity. Growling at the paper, she suddenly heard a loud bang from the hallway. People were shouting and the sounds of steel against steel echoed. Dread lodged in the pit of her stomach.

The door banged open and there he stood. Blood flowed down into his right eye from a cut on his forehead and he was panting like a wild bull. Hard, uncompromising eyes pinned her.

"I-Ichigo, what the hell are you doing here?" She breathed. He narrowed his predatory gaze, walked forward, leaned down, planted his shoulder into her abdomen, and threw her over his shoulder.

Pissed, she started beating her small fists against his back.

"What the fucking hell! Put me down you troglodyte!"

He ignored the blows and growled in a voice that was low and menacing.

"You had better stop that midget. I'm plenty pissed enough as it is." She screamed shrilly and reigned harder thumps against the sinewy muscles. He grunted and to her great indignation, slapped her on the ass…hard.

Sputtering curses, she laid into him, but froze when a second voice calmly inquired.

"Kurosaki, why do you have my subordinate slung over your shoulder like a sack of rice?"

Rukia closed her eyes and stifled her groan.

"We're going to see old man Yamamoto. He and I need to have a little chat."

She froze and felt her body tremble. Was he insane? Did he have a fucking death wish? There was no way she was going to allow this to happen.

"Are you fucking crazy!" She shrilled. "You are not doing this Ichigo. I forbid you."

He slapped her ass again and she drove her fist into his shoulder. He grunted in pain.

"You gonna stand in my way Utaike?"

The older man regarded him steadily.

"Actually, if you would permit me, I would like to come with you?"

"Captian!" Rukai cried. Utaike merely smiled.

"After you, Kurosaki."

* * *

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai was not surprised when Kurosaki came to him, baring the younger Kuchiki over his shoulder. He was slightly surprised to see one of his two protégés accompanying them.

"General Yamamoto," Ichigo began without delay. "I request the right to challenge you in order to lift this stupid decree about me and Rukia."

Rukia felt the shock of his statement go through her entire body and fear like nothing she'd ever known rocked her. He couldn't possible be serious, but as he slide her from his shoulder to face him and met her eyes she knew…he was in deadly earnest.

"No Ichigo…don't do this. He'll kill you," she whispered.

Yamamoto eyed the young man and with a tired sigh replied.

"You are much too young and much too brash for your own good Kurosaki. Do you honestly believe that such a decree was mine? As powerful as I am the laws of the Soul Society are much more powerful. You will accomplish nothing by this."

Ichigo snarled. "Then tell me who to fight. I'm not going to let this go…even if it means death."

The slap rang out like a bell tolling at midnight. The gathered men looked at the usually composed and ice cold Rukia Kuchiki and found to their disbelief that she was shaking. Tears streaked down her cheeks and her voice broke with her rage.

"Fool, you stupid, stupid fool. How could you say something so stupid? Do you have any idea? Why are you so quick to throw away your life? I have told you, time and time again, I do not need you to save me. I do not want you. Return to your world Ichigo. I want you to go. I hate you."

To her surprise he smirked.

"Naw midget. If you hated me you wouldn't care what I did with my life. The thing you seem to be forgetting though is that it is my life, and I'm damn stubborn when it comes to the things I believe are important. You're too important to me and you know I meant what I said. So shut the hell up already. All of your opinions have been rejected."

Indigo eyes widened and she sucked in a breath. She remembered all to well the first time he'd said that to her.

"Ichigo…please." She was begging. She never begged. She would have said something more but her Captain spoke before she could.

"General, I remind you that Kurosaki is invaluable to us with the loss of so many Captain level shinigami and Aizen still out there."

The old man looked at his former pupil. "Are you suggesting I ignore this flagrant disregard for the law because he is powerful Jūshirō?"

The white-haired captain bowed slightly.

"I simply ask you to consider the wisdom in striking down Kurosaki simply because he fell in love."

Yamamoto fell silent. He met Ichigo's eyes and released his spiritual pressure. Rukia cried out and hit her knees, falling instantly unconscious. Ichigo fell to one knee, gritting his teeth and fighting against the pull. Only Utaike kept his feet.

"Utaike take Rukia and get her out of here."

The captain of the thirteenth division leveled his wise eyes on the boy, nodded once, scooped up his subordinate, and left Ichigo with the old man. Yamamoto shook his head.

"Brash and foolish."

Ichigo grinned and breathed.

"Bankai"

* * *

Rukia groaned and blinked her eyes against the moonlight. When the hazy, pale light hit her corneas she groaned again and rubbed her right hand over her gritty eyes. Her whole body ached and her head felt as if she'd tried to drink Rangiku under the table. Moaning, she sat up and was surprised to find herself in her quarters.

"Bout time you woke up, midget." Rukia jumped and turned. Ichigo was sitting cross-legged at the end of her futon, he had a few more cuts and scraps than before but otherwise he looked fine.

Confused and wary she regarded him silently.

"You're not dead."

He rolled his eyes. "You don't have to sound so happy about it," he said, sarcastic.

"What did you promise them?"

Ichigo stilled and the smirk faded from his lips. He should have known. Rukia was far from stupid.

"Nothing I wasn't willing to give." Which was everything when it came to her, but she didn't need to know that.

Cursing, she pushed herself to her feet and promptly swayed. He immediately rushed to steady her, but the minute his hand cupped her elbow she wrenched away from him. Silently, he glared at her and she glared right back.

"Why Ichigo? Why do you always come? I never ask you to come after me. Why do you always insist on trying to save me?" She growled. She sounded like a wounded bear, lashing out at anyone or anything that tried to get close to her.

Ichigo, who lack the self preservation gene, ignored her, wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, and slanted his lips over her, thrusting his tongue deep inside her mouth.

Rukia tensed and briefly tried to fight him, but the minute his tongue swept against hers…she was lost. Desperate, she opened her mouth wider and tried to devour him. Lips, teeth, and tongues clashed and fought. She moaned, long and deep, when he sucked on her invading appendage, and when he cupped her ass and hauled her up, she wasted no time wrapping her legs around his waist and grinding her hot, velvet core against his length.

Ichigo staggered and Rukia's back hit the wall, but she didn't have time to care. He was busy tugging at her robes and the sound of ripping fabric had her arching against him. Cool air hit her chest and her nipples puckered into tight mulberry knobs. Ichgio wrapped his lips around the right one and sucked hard. Her eyes rolled back into her head. As he sucked and licked and rolled his tongue over her areole he rhythmically rocked his pelvis into her heated core. She felt the pressure sliding against her sex and knew that she was going to cream with her clothes on if he didn't stop.

Mindless, she didn't care, but she also didn't protest when Ichigo pulled back enough to loosen the ties on his robes, ripped open hers, and thrust his hard cock into her waiting warmth. She keened and he didn't give her a second to breath as he angled inside her in just the right way to rub her throbbing clit and hit the nerves hidden inside of her heat, driving her out of her mind.

The rasp of his robes on her nipples and the sensation of him joined to her sent her flying and she screamed his name. Ichigo slipped out of her, pulled the rest of their clothes off, and tumbled with her onto the futon. He was inside her in an instant and Rukia could only hold on as he proceeded to fuck her senseless.

Many hours and a more than a few orgasms later, Rukia woke to find herself tucked against Ichigo's chest while he rhythmically stroked her silken back. She tilted her head up and met his eyes, tears dusting her eyelashes.

"This doesn't change anything between us. I still want you to go back. It's foolish to allow them to control your life and I won't let them use me as leverage."

He stilled his hand and smirked down at her.

"Sorry midget, all your opinions are still rejected. I've made my choice. I'm want you Rukia and I'm not about to let some stuffy old bastards keep us apart. You're just gonna have to get use to it. After all, I happen to love you."

She snorted. "Love? All I've ever learned from love, was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you. Love brings nothing but pain, Ichigo."

He shrugged and turned his eyes to the ceiling.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop. You had me the moment you stepped through my window. And the more you push me away the harder I'm going to dig in. Besides, who else can make you come like a fucking geyser all night long? You need me, Rukia."

She pinched his nipple and he yelped. "Perverted fool," she spat.

"Heartless bitch," he shot back and kissed her, she mewled helplessly. When he pulled away he was on top of her, sporting his weight on his forearms, and gazing intently into her indigo eyes.

"You're not winning this one, Kuchiki." He slipped inside her and she bit her lower lip to keep from crying out. She couldn't, however, contain her breathy moan.

He jerked his hips forward, sliding deeper and she panted.

"Say it," he demanded. She narrowed her eyes and shook her head stubbornly. He withdrew all the way and pushed himself back in to the hilt. She gasped in pleasure.

"Say it, Rukia!" Obstinate, she shook her head again. He twisted his hips, hitting her clit with each hard thrust. She was gasping and shaking now, but she refused to give him what he wanted. Ichigo kept up the torture and brought her to the cusp of her orgasm…and stopped. She glared at him and tried to buck her hips, but he held her down.

"Say it," he whispered in her ear. She mewled and tried to buck again, but he wouldn't let her move. She started withering, desperate to come, and he still held her back…the bastard.

With a growl of frustration she spat. "Fine baka, I love you, now finish me off!" He grinned and started moving inside her with renewed vigor. Rukia felt her eyes flash white as the powerful convulsions finally pulsed through her. When it was done he collapsed on top of her, sweaty and satiated.

"Told you, you needed me." She hit him on the back of his head and he yelped, before lifting his head up enough to glare at her. He was about to cuss her out, but she was looking at him with such weary eyes that he found himself brushing feather light kisses over her face instead.

She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest.

"It's never going to work between us. They won't let it. Don't you see Ichigo?"

He pulled up again and brushed her hair away from her forehead.

"All I see midget, is the woman I love. They can all go to hell. Whatever comes Rukia, we're going to face it together. It's all I need. Stay with me…please."

Rukia Kukichi looked into Ichigo's polished amber eyes and felt humbled by the depth of emotion she saw there. She hugged him again.

"I'll stay," she whispered. He responded by hugging her tighter.

Rukia closed her eyes. She didn't know what the future held for them and even though she suspected it would be painful, she knew she wasn't strong enough to keep pushing him away.

Whatever came they would face it….together.

_**Fin**_


	6. Animals

**Animals **

**By Nickleback  
**  
I, I'm driving black on black  
Just got my license back  
I got this feeling in my veins this train is coming off the track  
I'll ask polite if the devil needs a ride  
Because the angel on my right ain't hanging out with me tonight  
I'm driving past your house while you were sneaking out  
I got the car door opened up so you can jump in on the run  
Your mom don't know that you were missing  
She'd be pissed if she could see the parts of you that I've been kissing  
Screamin'

No, we're never gonna quit  
Ain't nothing wrong with it  
Just acting like we're animals  
No, no matter where we go  
'Cause everybody knows  
We're just a couple of animals

So come on baby, get in  
Get in, just get in  
Check out the trouble we're in

You're beside me on the seat  
Got your hand between my knees  
And you control how fast we go by just how hard you wanna squeeze  
It's hard to steer when you're breathing in my ear  
But I got both hands on the wheel while you got both hands on my gears  
By now, no doubt that we were heading south  
I guess nobody ever taught her not to speak with a full mouth  
'Cause this was it, like flicking on a switch  
It felt so good I almost drove into the ditch  
I'm screamin'

No, we're never gonna quit  
Ain't nothing wrong with it  
Just acting like we're animals  
No, no matter where we go  
'Cause everybody knows  
We're just a couple of animals

So come on baby, get in  
Get in, just get in  
Look at the trouble we're in

We were parked out by the tracks  
We're sitting in the back  
And we just started getting busy  
When she whispered "what was that?"  
The wind, I think 'cause no one else knows where we are  
And that was when she started screamin'

"That's my dad outside the car!"  
Oh please, the keys, they're not in the ignition  
Must have wound up on the floor while  
we were switching our positions  
I guess they knew that she was missing  
As I tried to tell her dad it was her mouth that I was kissing  
Screamin'

No, we're never gonna quit  
Ain't nothing wrong with it  
Just acting like we're animals  
No, no matter where we go  
'Cause everybody knows  
We're just a couple of animals

So come on baby, get in  
We're just a couple of animals  
Get in, just get in

Ain't nothing wrong with it  
Check out the trouble we're in  
Get in, just get in.

**Animals**

**By Tituba**

**Rating: M**

Ichigo twitched anxiously in his seat and stared hard at the glittering house before him.

"Rukia," his voice sounded strained and irritated as he muttered to the empty seat beside him. "Where the fuck are you? You were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago." His body flinched once again in the driver's seat and he sighed in exasperation. His eyes were straining to see into the darkness but he could barely make anything out. Everything was just so dark. Only the gleam of the white paint on the house in front of him stood out in the stark night.

"Damn…" he muttered, "The things I do for that ungrateful midget."

He checked his watch nervously and wondered if she had forgotten about tonight.

He quickly dashed the thought from his head and growled. No, she wouldn't forget, it was too important to both of them for her to just _forget_.

He heard a rustle to the side of him and jerked his head in its direction. His heart sped up at the possible meanings behind that sound and he swallowed anxiously. There were two, meanings, of course, one meant undeniable bliss and the other meant certain death. Ichigo just prayed it was the former.

"Rukia?" He whispered, feeling foolish for whispering inside of a car.

Suddenly, the passenger door opened and in stepped the bane of his existence and the love of his life: Rukia Kuchiki.

She was barely settled in her seat before Ichigo's hands left the wheel, grabbed the back of her head, twisted his fingers in her ebony locks, and covered her mouth with his. Tonight he didn't bother with any types of pleasantries or even erotic foreplay. He was far too impatient for that. He angled her head to the side and groaned when she immediately opened to him. It seemed that she was in no mood for games either. He heard a whimper coming from Rukia's direction and grinned when her throat sent an unwitting moan out of her lips. He drove into her hard and fast, his tongue easily dominating hers for a scintillating and fiery kiss that stole both of their breath.

"Ichigo…" Rukia whispered as he continued a trail of fire down her neck. His hands were edging around her hips and coming dangerously close to her ass. She moaned softly as he kissed her collar bone and dared to go down lower.

"Ichigo," she said again, this time with much more finality in her tone. He groaned softly and raised his mouth to play with her earlobe while she struggled to breathe.

"We can't do it here," she chastised him in an angelic voice. "Someone m-might see and then—oh _God_—and w-we might—"

Ichigo stopped her butchered sentence by shifting his head to the side and kissing her once again. He grinned into the kiss when he felt Rukia melt into a pile of jell-o underneath his skilled hands. Her fingers were hanging weakly onto his shoulders and her knees were trembling precariously as she balanced on them. Ichigo's hands weren't helping much either. With each pass of his tongue against hers he brought his devilish fingers that much closer to that place on Rukia that was throbbing with heat.

The outside of her nightgown felt heated to the touch and Ichigo instinctively knew that she had chosen not to wear underwear for their outing tonight. What blood was left in his brain traveled south at this thought and he responded by making the kiss more desperate and dangerous.

He nipped at her bottom lip as his hand roved around to cup the place he knew to be dripping right now. Rukia let out a startled yelp and her eyes flew open immediately.

Ichigo was completely ready to yank her into the backseat right now and have his way with her. God knows he had waited long enough to feel her silky smooth skin sliding against his own. He had been scratching the days off the calendar waiting for today to arrive. He wanted to feel her tight around him, panting, gasping, moaning…

So it was quite understandable that when Rukia reached down, grabbed his wrists, jerked her mouth away, and gave him a dark, withering, glare, Ichigo was not pleased in the slightest.

"Are you stupid?" Rukia demanded breathlessly. Her lips were pink and her cheeks were flaming red. Her hair was tumbling down her shoulders as they heaved up and down. This brought his attention to her chest and he readily gazed down at the front of her nightshirt. His mouth broke out into a grin when he saw her perky breasts poking through the thin cotton. He raised a hand to touch her again when he realized that Rukia was still holding his wrists hostage.

"Oh no you don't." She intoned viciously. "If my brother even _suspects_ what we're doing he'll come out and kill you himself."

Ichigo set his jaw grumpily but kept his eyes fixed on Rukia's heaving breasts. Granted, they weren't much to look at, being so tiny and all, but he loved them just as much as he loved the rest of her petit body. He shuddered as thoughts of his hands running all over her body came into his mind once again. Gliding over the curve of her waist, the gentle rise of her hip, and the strong length of her thigh… right to the place he loved most of all, nestled inside a small bed of midnight curls…

Her body was simply far too perfect for him to take for granted. Not that he had noticed it right away, hell, when he had first come upon her two years ago in school he had thought she looked like a third grader pretending to be one of the "big kids."

Boy had he been wrong. Not only had the little minx managed to completely capture his attention—and his sex drive—but she had also managed, in the span of one freaking year, to capture his heart. As ridiculous as that sounded it was true. Ichigo Kurosaki, bad-ass extraordinaire, had fallen in love with a woman a foot shorter than him who possessed a temper to match his own. He loved everything about her, everything down to the very last hair on her perfect head.

Hell, everything seemed to be going perfectly between them for a while. They would see each other in school, hang out after class, she would eat dinner with his family, and he would take her home usually after a very long and drawn out kissing session. Everything had been going great… until her brother found out what they were doing.

Byakuya Kuchiki, the devil in Karakura town… or at least, that's what he was to Ichigo, to the town he was more like a much needed and beloved philanthropist. He also happened to be Rukia's brother-in-law and her legal guardian. Ichigo didn't know how it happened, but one night he had been standing with Rukia outside of her gated house, kissing her senseless, when her brother materialized out of nowhere and calmly asked him to leave.

As it turned out, the only reason Byakuya was letting Rukia spend so much time with "this Ichigo person" was simply because Byakuya thought "this Ichigo person" was, in fact, a girl. He had no way of knowing that it was a boy his sister had been dating for a couple of months. Or that this boy had parents who were strange enough to conveniently name him after a copiously seeded fruit.

So, much to Rukia and Ichigo's horror, Byakuya forbade Rukia from having contact with him ever again. At first, the pair thought that this would be alright; after all, they only had about one more year of high school left and then college. They could still see each other in class, during lunch, and even a bit after class. They thought that they could survive until they were accepted into a university.

That was when their damned hormones decided to kick in.

It was almost three months ago that Rukia and Ichigo realized that they both wanted to have sex. Having sex, however, was difficult when your brother basically had a S.W.A.T team out to try and keep you apart from your significant other. They had to devise a plan that would allow them to see each other without the threat of Ichigo being torn limb from limb by her brother.

The first couple of times Rukia managed to sneak out of the house were successful. She and Ichigo met at his house—preferably when his father was away at one of his sisters' soccer games—and together they discovered the entirely new form their relationship could take. The heat, the passion, and the ecstasy they experienced with each other could barely be contained. They began to see each other more and more and more… each time throwing a little more caution away until finally, they were caught.

Or, at least, Rukia was caught. She had attempted to sneak out of the house only to find Byakuya waiting for her near the bottom of the hanging ivy. Afterwards, Rukia told him, Byakuya had torn down the ivy, given her a horrible lecture, threatened to move, and had even called Ichigo's father to chastise his loose sense of morals for letting his son roam around freely with his sister. Ichigo had been confused by the last part seeing as how he had never received such a lecture from his father. Rukia could only glumly assume that Isshin—Ichigo's father—actually _approved_ of the lengths his son was going through to see the girl he loved.

"Byakuya's not as enthusiastic." Rukia had said bitterly.

So, Ichigo and Rukia had been left in a rather horrible bind. She was desperate to see him, he needed to see her, and still they had no way of being together. Her brother had even gone as far as to remove her from Ichigo's classroom. The only times they could see each other now was at lunch, and even then they were surrounded by people.

Their desperation reached new peaks as the months dragged on. Finally, Ichigo had come up with a suggestion so crazy it was bound to work.

Now, every Thursday night at exactly midnight, Ichigo came to Rukia's house driving his fathers much unused car. He waited for Rukia to sneak out of her house and come join him. They would drive to the outer limits of Karakura and just sit and be together.

Generally, whenever they were together like this, they had sex. Some nights, however, they just unfurled their bodies on the hood of his car, watched the stares, twined their fingers together, and talked.

Ichigo looked sideways at Rukia and grinned. Tonight would _not_ be one of those nights.

Begrudgingly, Ichigo pulled away from her and allowed her to sit back and buckle her seat belt. He watched her out of the corner of his eye and smirked when he noticed the slight but frantic beating of her heart through the thin nightgown she wore. God she looked good. His eyes slid down even further and took note of the two pointed tips of her mulberry nipples poking through the cloth.

Pointedly ignoring the pain in his crotch, Ichigo pulled away from the curb as quietly as he could and began to drive to their preferred spot.

He needed to calm himself down. He needed to resist the urge to just pull the car over and fuck her on the side of the highway. He needed to talk to her without being… overtly sexual.

"So…" he choked, his voice strained. "What's new?"

"Just keep driving Kurosaki," she said heatedly. Ichigo's breath caught in his throat as he watched her unbuckle her seat belt out of the corner of his eye. His fingers tightened on the wheel and his blood began to hum when he felt her petal-soft lips begin to caress his neck.

"R-Rukia…" he stammered. Her breathing was heady in his ear and he shivered as he felt her tiny pink tongue come out and toy with the base of his earlobe. "Wh—what are you doing?"

"Oh come on," she muttered, her voice was teasing and not the least bit chastising. "What does it _look_ like I'm doing?"

The car jerked sporadically as Ichigo tried very hard to keep control over the gas, the brake, and the steering wheel all at once. With Rukia's small hand smoothing over his chest it was even harder than he had first imagined.

"You shouldn't be d-doing this…" he said, his voice a strange mix of husky and gruff. "I could crash."

"But you won't." She sighed into his neck. Her devilish mouth was toying with his jaw and both of her hands were sliding over parts of his body that were making him fight to keep control of both the car and himself. "I know you won't." She said huskily. Her left hand twirled inside of his hair and gripped the back of his head gently while the other rested on his abdomen.

"Rukia," he choked when her fingers began lightly tapping over the part of him that was stiff and hard and aching inside of his pants. "Oh… f-f-fuck…" her hand was stroking him up and down through the thick denim material. From base to tip, she felt everything about Ichigo—which was quite a lot.

"Eyes on the road," she giggled against his neck.

Ichigo's mind was in a fog as he stared blearily out into the road. Everything seemed hazy the more Rukia stroked and pleasured him. His fingernails dug into the faux leather of the steering wheel and the speedometer slowed fractionally. He might've wanted to get to the spot as soon as possible but he sure as hell wasn't going to risk both of their lives in order to get their fast. Especially not with Rukia doing such tantalizing things to his body. This was definitely something he wanted to savor.

"Hold it steady," Rukia whispered and Ichigo's hazy head nodded. He continued driving as steadily as he could but nothing, not even Rukia's warning, could possibly prepare him for what she did next.

Ichigo no longer felt himself surrounded by a soft denim barrier. The front of his jeans had been opened swiftly and tugged down as far as they could go. Rukia's mouth had left its place on her neck and, in the space of three nanoseconds, had encased him within her lips.

The string of shocked expletives that flew from his mouth had no deterring effect on Rukia, her mouth, or her tongue. Every part of her seemed completely and totally focused on her new task that she barely registered anything that Ichigo said. He groaned and whined while her tongue swept along his complete length. Her mouth sucked him lightly and her head bobbed up and down, mimicking what would come later when they were both participating.

Ichigo slowly felt his body losing all control of its senses. He fought to keep his hazy head on the road but it just felt _so good_. Rukia had always been good at this sort of thing, even when she had awkwardly tried it for the first time.

Rukia's teeth scraped the tip of his erection and Ichigo lurched in the seat. "Oh god…" He grunted, even though his teeth were painfully clasped together, sweat trickled down his forehead and dripped onto his chest. "Rukia—I… y-you… fu-u-uck!"

He could feel her smiling against his skin and her hands joined in as well. She cupped him fully and ran her finger over the vein on the underside of his cock.

Heavenly, that was the word for how Rukia was making him feel at the moment. His eyes fluttered shut and nearly rolled into the back of his head. Rukia's tongue was swirling around him, her fingers were teasing him, and her throat was making these little noises that made him feel sparks shooting all over his body. A shout echoed throughout the car and the vehicle jerked to the side of the road. It took all of Ichigo's will and determination to get the damn thing back onto the actual street and to not pass out. Rukia—he couldn't believe it—hadn't even moved an inch. She was still, save her mouth and hands, pleasuring him until… until…

"Shit!" Ichigo groaned as he felt himself releasing into her mouth. A smirk curved onto Rukia's lips as she accepted everything he came to offer. He was left sweating, panting, and limp against the seat of the car while his fingers tried desperately to stay on the steering wheel. His eyes roamed over to the sides of the road and he wondered if he passed out now whether or not they would die if they crashed.

_It would be her fault though_, he thought blissfully, _who does that to a man when they're driving?_

Although if he were forced to admit it… he'd say it had been pretty damn kinky.

Rukia's head appeared near his chest and she nuzzled him thoughtfully. Her arms curled around his midsection and she smiled happily as she stroked his body through his shirt.

The car was silent—they hadn't even thought to turn on the radio—as they sat there, basking in the glow of something that was a bit more unusual than they were used to. But hell, when you couldn't wait you just _couldn't_ wait.

"You shouldn't have done that," Ichigo grunted softly, his voice was chastising but pleased as he spoke, "It felt so good… I almost drove into a ditch."

"I'm sure you could've handled it." She answered breezily.

Ichigo scoffed and rolled his eyes. Slowly, he allowed one of his arms to come away from the steering wheel—he had permanently damaged the thing by how hard he had been gripping it—and wrapped it around her small body.

If there was one thing about Rukia that made him fall deeper in love with her than anything else, it was her undying trust in his abilities to do just about anything. She always believed in him, no matter what. She wasn't the type of person who would accept your defeat and just let you slide with the phony excuse of 'it's too hard' or 'I'll do it later.' No, she was the type of person who'd kick you on the side of the head and force you to finish what you've started. No matter what the situation or the circumstances.

Not to mention that her feisty determination made sex exceptionally hot. She wouldn't leave until they both felt so completely and absolutely satisfied, which sometimes meant doing it again and again and again…

He shuddered and pulled her closer to him. He could feel how warm and tantalizing she was beneath the gown. Ichigo licked his lips when he thought of what he was going to do to her once they reached their destination. Her head resting on the crook of his shoulder and his neck. He'd push her into the back seat, rip off that nightgown, and place his head between her milky thighs. He was going to make sure that she screamed like a porn star and came so many times that she'd have to fake a gym class injury just so she could explain her sudden limp to her brother.

She sighed against him and Ichigo smiled when her finger began to trail circles around his chest.

"So," she asked conversationally as her head tilted up and she grinned. "Are we there yet?"

_That's my Rukia._


End file.
